Effective Tracking of Building Energy Use Improving the Commercial Buildings and Residential Energy Consumption Surveys (2012) / Chapter Skim
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1 Introduction
1 Introduction
Pages 11-22
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From page 11... ...
Although the data produced by EIA play an extremely important role in informing energy policy decisions, over the years the agency has struggled with budget limitations that have made 11
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EIA's portfolio of data collections includes three surveys of energyconsuming end use sectors: the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) , the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS)
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NOTE: Gross Domestic Product deflators from EIA's 2011 Annual Energy Outlook (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2011c)
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of data available to policy makers seeking to make informed decisions and plan for the future by, for example, ensuring that energy production is in line with needs and that savings opportunities are identified wherever possible. Congress and the executive branch relied on EIA data to inform analyses evaluating the impact of the American Power Act of 2010, which was proposed to regulate emissions of greenhouse gases (U.S.
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Making wise choices regarding government support for the energy sector is most likely if those choices are supported by valid and reliable data.
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In other words, this category includes a wide range of end uses, such as televisions, computers, electronic picture frames, ceiling fans, and so on. Residential miscellaneous energy consumption today accounts for more energy use than any other single end use in homes, and some devices consume particularly large amounts of energy (Roth et al., 2008)
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From page 17... ...
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) 1 directed EIA to "establish a 5-year plan to enhance the quality and scope of the data collection necessary to ensure the scope, accuracy and timeliness of the information needed for efficient functioning of energy markets and related financial operations." (Appendix A includes the relevant section of the legislation.)
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From page 18... ...
Compromises in the design of the surveys, such as sample sizes that are too small to be adequate and shortcuts that affect the data collection approach, are more subtle problems that also affect the quality of the data available for research and decision making. Estimates based on surveys that are conducted with insufficient resources are subject to large uncertainties, which in turn affect the confidence in conclusions based on analyses that depend on the data.
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From page 19... ...
The panel also met with EIA's data collection contractors to understand the specifics of the activities they performed as part of their contractual agreements with EIA and to obtain their perspectives on the surveys. The panel also discussed data collection strategies and methodological considerations with researchers conducting their own surveys in the energy sector, as well as with researchers conducting surveys on other topics with similar challenges.
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Indeed, the panel's charge calls for "consideration of the level of resources likely to be required in comparison with the current survey program," which the panel understood as the need for recommendations that are the result of careful consideration of these trade-offs. When possible, the recommendations in this report are accompanied by a brief discussion of their cost implications, although the actual costs can vary greatly depending on the method of implementation selected.
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From page 21... ...
The last chapter of the report takes a slightly different perspective, revisiting some of the ideal program characteristics highlighted above and discussing some ideas that may be less feasible in the short term but which may help EIA envision the energy consumption data collections of the future. The report discusses some overarching, transformational recommendations that, if implemented, would represent major changes in the designs of the surveys.
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