CEA Benchmarking & Energy Star Certification 2

Question 1

Which metric does ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager use to normalize energy consumption for weather in commercial buildings?

Accepted Answer

Heating Degree Days (HDD) and Cooling Degree Days (CDD)

Answer

Portfolio Manager uses HDD and CDD to weather-normalize energy consumption, enabling fair comparisons across different climates.

Question 2

An office building scores 74 on the ENERGY STAR 1–100 scale. What does this indicate?

Accepted Answer

It performs better than 74% of similar buildings nationally

Answer

A score of 74 means the building outperforms 74% of similar U.S. buildings in energy efficiency.

Question 3

What is the primary purpose of 'source energy' normalization in Portfolio Manager benchmarking?

Accepted Answer

To account for transmission and generation losses and compare fuels on equal footing

Answer

Source energy includes all upstream losses so different fuel types (electricity vs. natural gas) can be compared equitably.

Question 4

Which building type requires 'weekly operating hours' as a use detail input in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager?

Accepted Answer

Office buildings

Answer

Office buildings require weekly operating hours as a key use detail because occupancy schedules directly affect their energy benchmark score.

Question 5

A certified ENERGY STAR building must re-certify annually. What must be verified each year?

Accepted Answer

A licensed Professional Engineer or Registered Architect must verify the data

Answer

Annual recertification requires a PE or RA stamp verifying that the energy and property data entered in Portfolio Manager are accurate.

(CEA) Certified Energy Analyst Practice Test