Methodology & Research

Overview of the 2018 CBECS process

The Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) is conducted periodically by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) to provide basic statistical information about energy consumption, expenditures, and the energy-related characteristics of U.S. commercial buildings. The CBECS is conducted in two phases, the Buildings Survey and the Energy Supplier Survey. For details about how we gathered this information for the 2018 CBECS from start to finish, select a step in the diagram above or a link in the next paragraph.

First, we constructed a frame and selected a sample. Interviewers visited the sampled buildings to conduct the Buildings Survey in person or to encourage respondents to respond online. In addition to information about the building and its equipment, we asked respondents for the names of their energy suppliers and account numbers so that we could reach out to these suppliers to conduct the Energy Supplier Survey. As we collected data from both surveys, we processed the data using editing and imputation. We modeled energy end-use consumption, and we published the resulting data.

Complete collection of methodological documentation for 2018 CBECS:

• Construct frame and select sample
• How We Chose Buildings for the 2018 CBECS
• Virtual Listing in the 2018 CBECS
• Conduct Buildings Survey
• How We Collected Data Using the 2018 CBECS Buildings Survey
• Determining Building Eligibility
• Questionnaire Content and Changes Summary: 2012 to 2018
• Data Collection Forms
• Response Rates and Nonresponse Bias in the 2018 CBECS Buildings Survey
• Conduct Energy Supplier Survey
• How We Collected Data Using the 2018 CBECS Energy Supplier Survey
• Process data
• How We Reviewed Data to Ensure Quality of the 2018 CBECS
• Model end uses
• How We Estimated Energy End-Use Consumption in the 2018 CBECS

2018 CBECS methodological research, such as conference papers and white papers:

• 2018 CBECS Data Center Pilot Results
• Results of a Push-to-Web Protocol in a Survey of Commercial Buildings (poster presented at the 2022 Joint Statistical Meetings)