Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS)

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2018 CBECS: Principal Building Activities
Religious Worship

Religious worship buildings are those in which people gather for religious activities, such as chapels, churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples.

A infographic showing buildings characteristics of religious worship buildings in CBECS. In 2018, religious worship buildings accounted for 7% of commercial buildings, 6% of commercial floorspace, 3% of major fuels consumption, and 3% of major fuels expenditures.

We do not publish subcategories of religious worship buildings.

More than one-half (61%) of religious worship buildings were 10,000 square feet or smaller; 38% were between 1,000 square feet and 5,000 square feet. About 2% of religious worship buildings were larger than 50,000 square feet. On average, religious worship buildings were 12,500 square feet per building.

A bar chart showing religious worship buildings by square footage category. More than one-half (61%) of religious worship buildings were 10,000 square feet or smaller; 38% were between 1,000 square feet and 5,000 square feet.

More than one-half (54%) of all religious worship buildings were constructed from 1970 to 2018, and 22% of religious worship buildings were constructed before 1946.

A 100% stacked column chart showing religious worship buildings by year constructed. More than one-half (54%) of all religious worship buildings were constructed from 1970 to 2018, and 22% of religious worship buildings were constructed before 1946.

Energy use in religious worship buildings

Religious worship buildings used 193 trillion British thermal units (TBtu) of energy in 2018. Although religious worship buildings accounted for 6% of total commercial floorspace, these buildings accounted for 3% of energy consumption in commercial buildings. Similar amounts of natural gas (94 TBtu) and electricity (91 TBtu) were used. The mean energy intensity for religious worship buildings was 35.3 thousand British thermal units (MBtu) per square foot.

A bar chart showing energy consumption in religious worship buildings by fuel. Similar amounts of natural gas (94 TBtu) and electricity (91 TBtu) were used.

Space heating accounted for the largest share of end-use consumption in religious worship buildings (45%). All other end uses each accounted for 11% or less of end-use consumption.

A bar chart showing major fuels energy consumption by end use in religious worship buildings. Space heating accounted for the largest share of end-use consumption in religious worship buildings (45%).

Energy intensity was highest for space heating (17.8 MBtu per square foot) and lowest for office equipment (0.3 MBtu per square foot).

A dot plot showing major fuels energy intensities by end use in religious worship buildings. Energy intensity was highest for space heating (17.8 MBtu per square foot) and lowest for office equipment (0.3 MBtu per square foot).

Inside religious worship buildings

Furnaces were the most common heating equipment and were used in 41% of religious worship buildings. The second-most-used heating equipment was packaged heating units (37%).

A bar chart showing heating equipment in religious worship buildings. Furnaces were the most common heating equipment and were used in 41% of religious worship buildings.

Packaged air conditioners were the most common cooling equipment (51%) in religious worship buildings. Residential-type central air conditioners were the second-most-used cooling equipment (29%).