The energy uses analyzed in this report were constructed from billing records collected during development of the Baseline Characteristics of the 2002-2004 Nonresidential Sector: Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington (2002-04 Baseline Study) (Baylon et al. 2008). The primary purpose of that study was to characterize buildings built in the Pacific Northwest between 2002 and 2004. Results were based on a sample of approximately 350 buildings, stratified by building size, state, and, in some cases, building type. For building characteristics and size the study generally produced high levels of precision. However, energy use, the topic of this report, was more difficult to assess because in many cases the utility billing records do not correspond well to the buildings as surveyed. Resolving these inconsistencies can be complex, time consuming, and often unsuccessful. Of the 350 buildings in the 2002-04 Baseline Study, approximately 190 had energy use information in sufficient detail that an overall energy use index (EUI) could be derived. EUIs are defined as the total energy use (usually drawn from the energy bills assigned to a particular building) divided by the building square footage.
