ASTM E2797-15

Standard Practice for Building Energy Performance Assessment for a Building Involved in a Real Estate Transaction

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Uses—This practice is intended for use on a voluntary basis by parties who wish to conduct a BEPA on a building. The process defined in this practice involves the collection of building energy use information, some of which may be collected as part of Guide E2018 PCA or Practice E1527 ESA. The practice is intended primarily as an approach to conducting a standardized inquiry designed to identify representative building energy performance in connection with a commercial property involved in a real estate transaction. This practice is intended to reflect a commercially practical and reasonable inquiry.  
4.2 Clarifications on Use:  
4.2.1 Use in Conjunction with Guide E2018 PCA or Practice E1527—This practice, when added as a supplemental scope of work to a Guide E2018 PCA or a Practice E1527 ESA, is designed to assist the user and consultant in developing information about energy use in a building or buildings involved in a real estate transaction. The BEPA also has utility to a wide range of persons, including those who may not be involved in a real estate transaction.  
4.2.2 Independent Use—This practice may also be used independently of any other building assessment to determine building energy performance.  
4.2.3 Site-Specific—This practice is property-specific in that it relates to existing building energy performance. The practice is not intended to replace Guide E2018 PCA or Practice E1527 ESA conducted by a qualified consultant or individual, but rather to supplement it.  
4.3 Who May Conduct—A BEPA shall be performed by a qualified consultant or individual (hereafter referred to as the “Consultant”) with the education, training and experience necessary to perform the requirements of this practice (see Appendix X4). No practical approach can be designed to eliminate the role of professional judgment and the value and need for experience in the individual performing the inquiry. The professional experience of the Consultant is, consequently, import...
SCOPE
1.1 Purpose—The purpose of this standard is to define a commercially useful practice in the United States of America for conducting a building energy performance assessment (BEPA) on a building involved in a commercial real estate transaction and subsequent reporting of the building energy performance information. The practice is intended to provide a methodology to the user for the collection, compilation, analysis, and reporting of building energy performance information associated with a commercial building. The practice may be used independently or as a voluntary supplement to Guide E2018 for property condition assessments or Practice E1527 for Phase I environmental site assessments. Utilization of this practice and performance of a BEPA is voluntary. If the property owner (e.g., the seller) is unwilling or unable to provide building energy use and cost information, a BEPA cannot be performed.  
1.2 Building Energy Performance—This practice defines building energy performance as the building’s total annual energy use and cost for heating, cooling, electricity, and other related uses. Energy use, for example, includes total electricity purchased; purchased or delivered steam, hot water, or chilled water; natural gas; fuel oil; coal; propane; biomass; or any other matter consumed as fuel and any electricity generated on site from renewable/alternative energy systems (for example, wind energy generator technology, fuel cells, microturbines or solar photovoltaic systems).  
1.3 Objectives—Objectives in the development of this practice are to: (1) define a commercially useful practice for collecting, compiling, and analyzing building energy performance information associated with a building involved in a commercial real estate transaction; (2) facilitate consistency in the collection, compilation, analysis, and reporting of building energy performance information as may be required under building benchmarking, labeling,...

General Information

• Status: Historical
• Publication Date: 30-Sep-2015
• ICS: 91.120.10 - Thermal insulation of buildings
• Technical Committee: E50 - Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action
• Drafting Committee: E50.02 - Real Estate Assessment and Management

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
Designation: E2797 − 15
Standard Practice for
Building Energy Performance Assessment for a Building
1
Involved in a Real Estate Transaction
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2797; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope building benchmarking, labeling, disclosure, or mandatory
auditing regulations; (3) supplement as needed a property
1.1 Purpose—The purpose of this standard is to define a
condition assessment conducted in accordance with Guide
commercially useful practice in the United States of America
E2018 or an environmental site assessment conducted in
for conducting a building energy performance assessment
accordance with Practice E1527; (4) provide that the process
(BEPA) on a building involved in a commercial real estate
for building energy performance data collection, compilation,
transaction and subsequent reporting of the building energy
analysis, and reporting is consistent, transparent, practical and
performanceinformation.Thepracticeisintendedtoprovidea
reasonable; and (5) provide an industry standard for the
methodology to the user for the collection, compilation,
conductofa BEPAonabuildinginvolvedina commercial real
analysis, and reporting of building energy performance infor-
estate transaction, subject to existing statutes and regulations
mation associated with a commercial building. The practice
which may differ in terms of scope and practice.
may be used independently or as a voluntary supplement to
Guide E2018 for property condition assessments or Practice
1.4 Documentation—The scope of this practice includes
E1527 for Phase I environmental site assessments. Utilization
datacollection,compilationandreportingrequirements.Docu-
of this practice and performance of a BEPA is voluntary. If the
mentation of all sources, records, and resources relied upon in
property owner (e.g., the seller) is unwilling or unable to
the investigation is provided in the report.
provide building energy use and cost information, a BEPA
1.5 Considerations Outside the Scope—The use of this
cannot be performed.
practice is limited to the collection, compilation, and analysis
1.2 Building Energy Performance—This practice defines
of building energy performance information as defined by this
building energy performance as the building’s total annual
practice. While this information may be used to facilitate
energy use and cost for heating, cooling, electricity, and other
building benchmarking, labeling, rating or ranking, reporting
related uses. Energy use, for example, includes total electricity
of building energy performance information between a seller
purchased; purchased or delivered steam, hot water, or chilled
and a buyer or a landlord and a tenant on a voluntary basis or
water; natural gas; fuel oil; coal; propane; biomass; or any
as may be required by building benchmarking, labeling,
other matter consumed as fuel and any electricity generated on
disclosure or mandatory auditing regulations applicable to the
site from renewable/alternative energy systems (for example,
building, or any other use, such use is beyond the scope of this
wind energy generator technology, fuel cells, microturbines or
practice.
solar photovoltaic systems).
1.6 Organization of This Practice—This practice has 13
1.3 Objectives—Objectives in the development of this prac-
sections and 11 appendices. The appendices are included for
tice are to: (1) define a commercially useful practice for
informational purposes only and are not part of the procedures
collecting, compiling, and analyzing building energy perfor-
prescribed in this practice.
mance information associated with a building involved in a
Section 1 Describes the scope of the practice.
commercial real estate transaction; (2)facilitateconsistencyin
Section 2 Identifies referenced documents.
the collection, compilation, analysis, and reporting of building
Section 3 Provides terminology pertinent to the practice.
energy performance information as may be required under
Section 4 Discusses the significance and use of the practice.
Section 5 Discusses the relationship between this practice and
ASTM E2018 or ASTM E1527.
Section 6 Describes the user’s responsibilities under this practice.
1
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E50 on Environ- Section 7 Describes the BEPA process.
mental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action and is the direct Section 8 Describes the site visit and walk-through.
Section 9 Discusses interviews with owner, operator,or key site
responsibility of Subcommittee E50.02 on Real Estate Assessment an
...

This document is not an ASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of an ASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation: E2797 − 11 E2797 − 15
Standard Practice for
Building Energy Performance Assessment for a Building
1
Involved in a Real Estate Transaction
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2797; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 Purpose—The purpose of this standard is to define a commercially useful practice in the United States of America for
conducting a building energy performance assessment (BEPA) on a building involved in a commercial real estate transaction and
subsequent reporting of the building energy performance information. The practice is intended to provide a methodology to the
user for the collection, compilation, analysis, and reporting of building energy performance information associated with a
commercial building. The practice may be used independently or as a voluntary supplement to Guide E2018 for property condition
assessments or Practice E1527 for Phase I environmental site assessments. Utilization of this practice and performance of a BEPA
is voluntary. If the property owner (e.g., the seller) is unwilling or unable to provide building energy use and cost information, a
BEPA cannot be performed.
1.2 Building Energy Performance—This practice defines building energy performance as the building’s total annual energy use
and cost for heating, cooling, electricity, and other related uses. Energy use, for example, includes total electricity purchased;
purchased or delivered steam, hot water, or chilled water; natural gas; fuel oil; coal; propane; biomass; or any other matter
consumed as fuel and any electricity generated on site from alternativerenewable/alternative energy systems (for example, wind
energy generator technology technology, fuel cells, microturbines or solar photovoltaic systems).
1.3 Objectives—Objectives in the development of this practice are to: (1) define a commercially useful practice for collecting,
compiling, and analyzing building energy performance information associated with a building involved in a commercial real estate
transaction; (2) facilitate consistency in the collection, compilation, analysis, and reporting of building energy performance
information as may be required under building benchmarking, labeling, disclosure, or mandatory auditing regulations; (3)
supplement as needed a property condition assessment conducted in accordance with Guide E2018 or an environmental site
assessment conducted in accordance with Practice E1527; (4) provide that the process for building energy performance data
collection, compilation, analysis, and reporting is consistent, transparent, practical and reasonable; and (5) provide an industry
standard for the conduct of a BEPA on a building involved in a commercial real estate transaction, subject to existing statutes and
regulations which may differ in terms of scope and practice.
1.4 Documentation—The scope of this practice includes data collection, compilation and reporting requirements. Documenta-
tion of all sources, records, and resources relied upon in the investigation is provided in the report.
1.5 Considerations Outside the Scope—The use of this practice is limited to the collection, compilation, and analysis of building
energy performance information as defined by this practice. While this information may be used to facilitate building
benchmarking, labeling, rating or ranking, reporting of building energy performance information between a seller and a buyer or
a landlord and a tenant on a voluntary basis or as may be required by building labeling benchmarking, labeling, disclosure or
mandatory auditing regulations applicable to the building, or any other use, such use is beyond the scope of this practice.
1.6 Organization of This Practice—This practice has 13 sections and 1211 appendices. The appendices are included for
informational purposes only and are not part of the procedures prescribed in this practice.
Section 1 Describes the scope of the practice.
Section 2 Identifies referenced documents.
Section 3 Provides terminology pertinent to the practice.
Section 4 Discusses the significance and use of the practice.
Section 5 Discusses the relationship between this practice and
ASTM E2018 or ASTM E1527.
1
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E50 on Environmental Assessment, Ris
...