Energy and Atmosphere Performance: Benchmarking, Commissioning, Audits, and Metering
What the domain tests
EA performance questions focus on measuring whole-building energy, benchmarking against peers, finding savings through commissioning and audits, and verifying savings with meters. The exam favors actual utility data over modeled savings.
Core rules
- Benchmark whole-building energy in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager using 12 months of actual energy data and consistent floor area.
- The O+M energy prerequisite uses a minimum performance threshold; for eligible building types, v4.1 commonly references an ENERGY STAR score of 75, with alternative paths for noneligible buildings.
- Advanced metering means end-use or system-level submetering-such as tenant spaces, HVAC, lighting, or plug loads-so operators can see where energy is used.
- Ongoing commissioning is a repeated process: establish a commissioning plan, investigate systems, implement corrective actions, and track results. It is not a one-time retrocommissioning study.
- An energy audit should follow a recognized scope such as ASHRAE Level I, II, or III; the level determines the depth of analysis and cost estimating.
- Savings must be verified after measure installation; normalize for weather, occupancy, and operating hours when comparing periods.
Worked example
A 100,000 ft² office has an ENERGY STAR score of 68. The team cannot claim the prerequisite is met by citing a new chiller design. It benchmarks with 12 months of bills, finds after-hours HVAC runtime as the likely cause, commissions the controls, and submeters the HVAC and plug loads. After corrections, the verified 12-month score reaches 76, and the improvement is documented with normalized bills.
Traps
Confusing a one-time audit with ongoing commissioning; using modeled energy instead of bills; forgetting weather normalization; submetering only the main meter; and claiming savings before a post-installation performance period exists.