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The 2020 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) commissioning study found median primary-energy savings ranging from 3% to 16% across building market segments. Those percentages are medians from project records—not a promise that every property will save 3%, 16%, or anything else. Results varied with building type, whether the work covered an existing or new building, and how the commissioning was delivered.
The analysis covers 1,500 North American buildings representing 34.7 million m² (373 million ft²). It also reports a 1.7-year median simple payback for existing-building commissioning and separates outcomes from utility programs, monitoring-based commissioning (MBCx), and projects outside utility programs. Here is how to use those figures without overstating what the research proves.
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What did the commissioning study actually find?
The headline range comes from market-segment medians in the LBNL analysis “Building Commissioning Costs and Savings Across Three Decades and 1,500 North American Buildings”. Lodging projects had the lowest reported median, 3% primary-energy savings, while public order and safety facilities had the highest, 16%.
These are not the minimum and maximum outcomes for individual buildings. A median is the midpoint of the projects in a category: half reported a lower value and half a higher value. A particular property can perform outside that range because its baseline condition, operating schedule, equipment, controls, climate, and project scope differ from the records in the study.
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| Building market segment | Median primary-energy savings | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Lodging | 3% | Segment median, not a guaranteed hotel result |
| Public order and safety facilities | 16% | Segment median, not a guaranteed public-safety result |
The study’s “primary energy” measure accounts for energy associated with supplying energy to the building, rather than only the energy recorded at the meter. When presenting the result to a client, identify the metric and the segment instead of shortening the finding to “commissioning saves 3%–16%.”
How large and representative was the LBNL analysis?
The 2020 paper combines records from 1,500 North American buildings totaling 34.7 million m² (373 million ft²) of floor area. The updated analysis added 839 buildings to a prior dataset of 643. That scale makes the results useful as a market benchmark, but it does not turn the work into a controlled experiment.
Projects were drawn from commissioning records collected over roughly three decades. The authors report differences in data quality and market representation, and the 2018 portion of the dataset was sourced through providers affiliated with the Building Commissioning Association. Those factors can influence which building types and project outcomes appear in the sample.
The full Energy and Buildings paper is the best source for the methods, category definitions, and uncertainty behind the summary figures. A trade-press explanation is available from Building Design + Construction, but the journal paper should be used when a contract, business case, or public report depends on an exact number.
Why does the delivery mechanism change the savings result?
For existing buildings, the study reports different medians depending on how commissioning was delivered. Treating all existing-building projects as one population hides an important part of the result.
| Existing-building project context | Median primary-energy savings | What the category means |
|---|---|---|
| Commissioning delivered through utility programs | 5% | Projects recorded within utility-program offerings |
| Monitoring-based commissioning (MBCx) in utility programs | 9% | Utility-program work augmented with submetering, diagnostics, and data analytics |
| Existing-building projects outside utility programs | 14% | Projects not classified within the utility-program categories |
MBCx is described in the paper as a subprocess of existing-building commissioning that uses data-analytics software, submetering, and diagnostics. The higher median in that category should not be read as proof that software alone creates savings. The category may also differ in building selection, project scope, measurement quality, and the problems identified before work began.
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For a proposed project, state the comparison category explicitly: “similar to existing-building utility-program projects,” “similar to MBCx utility projects,” or “similar to projects outside utility programs.” That wording is more defensible than applying the 14% figure to every retrofit.
What is commissioning, according to the study?
Eliot Crowe and coauthors define commissioning as “a systematic process intended to verify and document that new and existing building systems operate according to the building design and the owner’s operating requirements.” The emphasis is on verification and documentation, not simply installing efficient equipment.
For an owner, that process can include translating operating requirements into checkable criteria, reviewing design intent, confirming that systems and controls respond as specified, recording deficiencies, and documenting final operating conditions. In an existing building, it can also expose drift, incorrect schedules, failed sensors, simultaneous heating and cooling, or control sequences that no longer match how the space is used. The exact activities and level of instrumentation should be defined in the commissioning scope.
Commissioning can cover HVAC equipment, air and water distribution, lighting controls, domestic hot water, metering, life-safety interfaces, and building-automation sequences when those systems are included in the owner’s requirements. The LBNL figures do not imply that every project covered every system; scope is one reason project results differ.
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In the 2018 sample, the median cost for existing-building commissioning was $2.85/m² ($0.26/ft²). New-construction commissioning had a median cost of $8.78/m² ($0.82/ft²). The paper reports that the new-construction figure was almost 50% lower than the comparable 2009 sample.
These are reported project-cost medians, not fee schedules. A small, complex facility can have a higher unit cost than a large, standardized building because fixed activities are spread over fewer square metres. Scope, travel, controls integration, metering, documentation requirements, and the condition of the equipment can all affect a proposal. Use the figures as an order-of-magnitude benchmark and request a scope-linked fee rather than treating them as a guaranteed price.
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| Project type | 2018 median cost | Unit conversion |
|---|---|---|
| Existing-building commissioning | $2.85/m² | $0.26/ft² |
| New-construction commissioning | $8.78/m² | $0.82/ft² |
Prices checked November 2026.
Costs are from the LBNL 2020 analysis and refer to its 2018 sample.
What payback did the study report?
Existing-building commissioning had a 1.7-year median simple payback. The middle 50% of reported projects fell between 0.8 and 3.5 years (the 25th–75th percentile range). “Simple payback” divides the project cost by annual energy-cost savings; it does not account for financing, discount rates, maintenance savings, avoided replacement, incentives, or changes in energy prices.
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The payback range is more useful for screening than the median alone. A project near the 3.5-year percentile may still be attractive if it reduces comfort complaints or protects equipment, while a project with a very short calculated payback may require assumptions that are difficult to verify. Ask for the baseline period, energy-price assumptions, incentive treatment, and whether non-energy benefits were excluded.
What does the evidence say about new-construction savings?
The 2018 sample did not contain enough usable new-construction savings data to calculate a new median. The often-cited 13% median energy savings and 4.2-year simple payback come from the earlier 2009 dataset cited by the authors, not from a new 2018 finding.
That distinction matters because new-construction commissioning is intended to prevent defects and confirm that the completed building meets its design and owner requirements. A project may avoid future waste without producing a clean before-and-after energy comparison. Do not label 13% as the current new-construction result, and do not combine it with the 2018 existing-building figures as if they were collected under the same conditions.
How should an owner apply the 3%–16% benchmark?
Use the study to frame a range of scenarios, then replace the broad benchmark with building-specific evidence. A practical decision process is:
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- Classify the project. Identify the building segment, floor area, climate, operating hours, and whether the work is for an existing or new building.
- Identify the delivery context. Determine whether a utility program, MBCx approach, or independent project is the closest match. Confirm eligibility and measurement rules with the program administrator when incentives are involved.
- Define the baseline. Gather utility bills, interval data where available, equipment inventories, control trends, schedules, and maintenance records. Record major occupancy or operational changes that could distort a before-and-after comparison.
- Write measurable owner requirements. Specify comfort ranges, schedules, sequences, alarms, metering, documentation, and who will operate the systems after handover.
- Separate savings cases. Present a conservative case, a central case, and an upside case. Label each as an estimate informed by the LBNL medians rather than a guaranteed outcome.
- Plan verification. Decide which meters, trend logs, functional tests, and follow-up reviews will demonstrate that corrective actions persisted after the commissioning team left.
This approach prevents a common error: multiplying a building’s energy use by 16% and presenting the result as a quotation from the study. The research supports a benchmark conversation, not a property-specific guarantee.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What factors can move a project above or below the median?
Building segment and operating pattern: Lodging, offices, schools, healthcare facilities, and public-safety buildings use systems differently. A 24-hour facility may have more hours in which scheduling and control corrections can matter, while a lightly occupied building may have fewer opportunities.
Starting condition: Commissioning finds more correctable waste when systems have drifted from design intent or operating requirements. A recently tuned building may have less immediate energy opportunity, even though verification can still reduce operational risk.
Scope and data: Projects with reliable submetering, trend data, and diagnostics can identify problems that a short visual inspection will miss. Conversely, incomplete records or inaccessible controls can limit both corrective work and the confidence of the savings estimate.
Implementation: A documented recommendation does not save energy until someone changes the sequence, repairs the sensor, adjusts the schedule, or trains operators—and the change remains in place. Assign responsibility and a closeout date for every deficiency.
Market representation: Because the LBNL dataset comes from available project records and has uneven data quality, its medians should not be treated as statistically identical to every regional building stock.
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How can project teams report the result responsibly?
Use a citation that includes the study year, project type, delivery mechanism, metric, and sample context. For example: “The 2020 LBNL analysis found a 5% median primary-energy saving for existing-building commissioning delivered through utility programs; the figure is a cross-project median, not a guarantee for this facility.”
Keep the following distinctions visible in proposals and board papers:
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- Median versus expected result for one property.
- Primary-energy savings versus a specific utility-bill reduction.
- Existing-building figures versus new-construction figures.
- 2018 cost data versus the earlier 2009 new-construction savings dataset.
- Simple payback versus a full life-cycle financial analysis.
When a client asks for one number, provide the closest category match and show the assumptions that could move the estimate. That is more useful—and more faithful to the evidence—than repeating the headline without its qualifiers.
What is the practical takeaway for construction and facilities teams?
Commissioning is a verification process that can produce measurable energy savings, but its value is not limited to a single percentage. The LBNL study’s strongest practical message is that context matters: savings differ by building segment and delivery mechanism, costs differ between existing and new construction, and the quality of project data limits what can be concluded.
For existing buildings, the reported 1.7-year median simple payback and $2.85/m² median cost provide a credible screening reference, while the 5%, 9%, and 14% savings medians help teams choose a comparison group. For new construction, use the $8.78/m² cost benchmark cautiously and identify the 13% savings and 4.2-year payback as results from the earlier 2009 dataset only. In every case, define the owner’s requirements, document the baseline, verify corrective actions, and report uncertainty alongside the estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a commissioning project guarantee a reduction on the utility bill?
No. The study reports primary-energy medians across project records, while a utility bill is affected by tariffs, weather, occupancy, and operational changes. A project-specific measurement plan is needed to connect commissioning actions with the bills a particular owner receives.
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It can be useful to schedule a seasonal or post-occupancy review because controls, schedules, and operator practices often change after handover. The LBNL headline percentages do not prescribe a follow-up interval, so the owner should set one in the commissioning plan.
What information should I request before accepting a savings estimate?
Request the baseline period, floor area, building segment, project scope, delivery category, energy metric, and treatment of incentives and operational changes. Also ask whether the estimate is a median benchmark, a modeled projection, or a measured result for the property.
Are commissioning costs eligible for utility incentives?
Eligibility depends on the specific utility program, jurisdiction, and program rules. The LBNL study separates utility-program projects from work outside those programs, but it does not establish current incentive availability for any particular building.
