Benchmarking Energy Use in Performing Arts Buildings

Session 4 Paper 1, CIBSE ASHRAE Technical Symposium, Imperial College, London, UK
18-19th April 2012

A new building energy use dataset from more than 100 performing arts buildings has been created by Julie’s Bicycle and Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute. The dataset has been used to test the robustness of CIBSE’s TM46 entertainment hall benchmark, which is the closest building type category for performing arts buildings.

Based on the analysis it is found that 110 kWh/m2/yr for electricity and 140 kWh/m2/yr for gas is a more robust benchmark set compared to TM46 180 kWh/m2/yr for electricity and 420 kWh/m2/yr for gas and that seating capacity may prove a more useful relative measure than floor area. Therefore after consultation with CIBSE, Julie’s Bicycle and Theatres Trust will adopt the new benchmarks for pilot co-display with Display Energy Certificates (DEC) and voluntary energy reporting. Julie’s Bicycle will extend this work to other arts buildings as the energy use data becomes available.