Energy Audit Comparison between Residential and Commercial Buildings in Denver and Other Climate Zones

Abstract

Building energy auditing has become a key practice in assessing and improving building efficiency to address rising energy consumption and environmental sustainability. This research offers a comparative energy audit of residential and commercial building types, particularly in the cool-dry climate of Denver, and how it compares to other key climates, such as hot-humid and marine climates. Through simulation-based approaches, a set of prototypical buildings are evaluated for differences in energy usage profiles, heating and cooling loads, and total energy use intensity (EUI).
The evaluation includes comprehensive building envelope, occupancy, and HVAC system setups within a standardized simulation framework, to distinguish the impacts of climate and building type. The findings show that climate plays a crucial role in shaping energy demand patterns, with heating loads being dominant in cold climates (e.g. Denver), and cooling loads in hot climates. Residential buildings show lower overall energy demand but greater sensitivity to insulation and envelope characteristics, while commercial buildings have higher energy demand due to equipment loads, operating schedules and ventilation.
Moreover, the research demonstrates the influence of building materials and thermal properties on energy consumption, including the relationship between thermal mass and insulation. These insights highlight the need for site- and building-specific design strategies and energy audit procedures that consider climate and building type. The findings help to inform energy-efficiency measures, cost savings and sustainable construction strategies for buildings in various climatic zones.