CBECS
CBECS (Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey) is a US EIA benchmark dataset that provides average energy consumption per square foot by building type and region, used in carbon accounting to estimate energy usage when actual utility data is unavailable.
CBECS is published by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) and surveys commercial buildings across the United States to produce national averages for electricity and natural gas consumption by building type (office, retail, warehouse, healthcare, etc.) and square footage.
In carbon accounting, CBECS data is used as an estimation methodology for sites where actual utility bills or meter data are not available. Gravity uses CBECS national averages to generate consumption estimates based on a site’s square footage and building purpose. These estimates are legitimate under the GHG Protocol and are clearly flagged in the platform so they can be replaced with actual data as it becomes available.
CBECS-based estimation supports the “Crawl, Walk, Run” approach to data quality: start with estimates to establish a baseline (Crawl), replace with actuals (Walk), and automate with integrations (Run).
Frequently asked questions
When should I use a CBECS estimate versus waiting for actual data? +
Use estimates when actual data is unlikely to arrive (e.g., a landlord cannot provide sub-metered usage) or when a data gap would leave an entire site unrepresented. Estimates are clearly flagged and can be upgraded to actuals whenever better data becomes available.
Related terms
Carbon Accounting
Carbon accounting is the systematic process of measuring, recording, and reporting the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by an organization, product, or activity. It follows standardized methodologies — most commonly the GHG Protocol — to quantify emissions across Scope 1 (direct), Scope 2 (purchased energy), and Scope 3 (value chain) categories, producing an auditable inventory that underpins disclosure, reduction planning, and regulatory compliance.
Data Completeness
Data completeness is the percentage of expected emissions data that has been collected for a given reporting period, tracked per site, emission source, and month within the Gravity platform.
Emission Factor
An emission factor is a coefficient that converts an activity measurement — such as litres of fuel burned, kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed, or dollars spent on a commodity — into a quantity of greenhouse gas emissions, typically expressed in kilograms or tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e).