In the pursuit of energy efficiency, buildings are a major target. Commercial buildings in particular represent some of the biggest energy users. A new survey by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that energy use in this sector is declining.


The 2012 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), released in March 2016, says total energy use in commercial buildings increased by about 7 percent from 2003 to 2012. However, the total number of commercial buildings increased by more than 14 percent during the same time frame. This resulted in an overall decline in the total energy use per building.


A similar trend took place in the amount of energy use per square foot of commercial buildings in that time period. Total floor space increased by more than 22 percent. Combined with the significantly lower growth rate in energy use, this led to about a 12 percent decrease in the average amount of energy used per square foot of commercial buildings from 91,000 to 80,000 Btu.


The EIA attributes this improvement in building energy efficiency to newer construction built in temperate regions and to higher energy performance standards, less energy intensive building activities, and improved efficiency of key energy-consuming equipment.


The report also analyzes the amount of energy use in commercial buildings by energy source. Electricity continues to be the dominant source, at 61 percent of total energy consumption, followed by natural gas at 32 percent. District heat and fuel oil account for the remaining share of energy consumed, at about 5 percent and 2 percent, respectively.


The study also examines the type of energy use in commercial buildings. Lighting, refrigeration and ventilation were the top electricity consumers.