ASHRAE Journal - May 2014 - 64

Technical FeaTure

Exploring ASHRAE's Building Energy Quotient Program
ASHRAE's Building Energy Quotient (bEQ) program is
a voluntary rating program that applies an easily understood scale to compare, or benchmark, a building's energy
use to similar buildings in similar climate zones. Two
independent rating systems exist within bEQ: In Operation and As Designed. The In Operation rating uses actual,
metered energy consumption and evaluates how the
building was designed, constructed and operated. The As
Designed rating uses an energy model that evaluates the
building's envelope and systems. The model uses standardized operational and occupancy variables to create a
more reliable and comparable model that creates a consistent, accurate evaluation of a building's physical characteristics and HVAC systems.
The calculated value for both In Operation and As
Designed is simple and straightforward. In each case, the
EUI of the building, either actual or modeled, is divided
by the median EUI table found in the bEQ workbooks.
The EUIs are derived using the methodologies and tables
found in ASHRAE Standard 100's proposed 2014 revision.
The EUI in each case is converted to source EUI using
industry standard conversion values to ensure a consistent, comparable result across building types and climate
zones. The bEQ rating score is calculated by dividing the
EUI (candidate building) by the EUI (median) and multiplying that product by 100.
The bEQ rating score, shown in Figure 1, is then translated into a letter "grade" that is intuitive and easy to
understand.

* bEQ provides baseline EUIs specifically for fire
stations;
* Beneficial energy information and measures for
improvements are generated quickly; and
* Recovery of the bEQ program cost is generally less
than a year.
Perhaps the most compelling argument for using the
bEQ program can be found in the fact that the owner
has decided to design and build four more fire stations
in 2014-15, using design aspects from these existing
four stations as the basis for the new station design. But
which design aspects should be used? What design elements optimize energy consumption? What design features best serve the client over time? These are the types
of questions bEQ is uniquely capable of addressing, as
the bEQ analysis and data inevitably reveals credible
suggestions and improvements that can be discussed
and considered by the owner and designers. One good
example that we found out during the required site
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How is bEQ Different?
bEQ was designed to augment and complement other
rating programs, such as LEED, Green Globes, and the
EPA's Portfolio Manager, not compete with them.
Many differences exist between ASHRAE's bEQ program
and other building rating, benchmarking, or green programs, in that bEQ:
* Focuses exclusively on energy;
* Requires either an ASHRAE certified Building Energy
Assessment Professional (BEAP) for In Operation,
Building Energy Modeling Professional (BEMP) for As
Designed, or a registered professional engineer licensed
in the locale of the project and possessing an expertise in
energy audits and/or energy modeling as appropriate;
* Empowers decision making through a deeper understanding of energy use;
* Provides greater differentiation for high performing
buildings and emphasis on promoting zero net energy;
* Allows consistent comparisons between a wide range
of similar buildings, both new and existing;
* Identifies opportunities and provides an estimated
payback from improvement of equipment and systems
(In Operation);
* Uses a full spectrum scale and scoring system that
incentivizes continuous improvement by the owner;
* Screens for indoor environmental quality and provides useful feedback from occupants and users; and
* Applicable globally using climate zone translations
shown in ASHRAE Standard 169.

visits and occupant interviews was the fact that the firemen practiced good energy-efficient behavior in that
they left most of the lights off during the day and took
advantage of the daylighting available. Better information leads to better decision-making, and creates the
value upon which long-term relationships are built.
Another valuable aspect of the bEQ program is its
ability to identify design, construction and operation
defects, through the required ASHRAE Level 1 audit. For
example, common defects found on the fire stations
include:
* A dehumidifier serving a gear storage area not
designed or working properly;
* A DX unit with the supply and return ductwork
installed so that it operated as a 100% outdoor air unit;
* One missing toxic gas monitoring/control system
and one missing solar water heating system; and
* An abandoned grey-water system.
The issue with the dehumidification system serving
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