Select Use Types

When creating a project, selecting one or more use types is required. Use types may be selected by clicking the “+” sign at the far right of the field. A pop-up will appear with the DDx building use types. Once the use type is selected and the area is entered, a baseline calculated from Zero Tool will be generated, along with the 2030 Target, representing an 80% reduction of pEUI from the baseline. Additional use types can then be added.

Zero Tool has its own set of use types that are based on the ENERGY STAR Target Finder use type set. To enable the Baseline Zero Tool Calculation, which calculates the Baseline EUI for the project, the DDx use type set has been mapped to the Zero Tool use type set. The Zero Tool calculation is calculated through the Zero Tool web services API. By default, the Baseline EUI is calculated using the minimum input requirements for the use types selected for the project. You may be able to calculate a more detailed Baseline EUI by visiting the Zero Tool website.

Use Types Table

The table displays how the DDx building types (column 1) are mapped to the Zero Tool set (column 2). When a use type is selected in the DDx, if the Zero Tool calculation is used, the calculation will use the corresponding Zero Tool Finder use type displayed in the second column. Definitions of use types for both the DDx and Zero Tool are aligned with the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Glossary and can be found in column 3.

Click here for the table...

AIA 2030 Commitment SET Use Types	Zero Tool SET Mapped to AIA 2030 Commitment Set	Definition of Use Type (ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Glossary)
Bank/Financial Institution	BankBranch	Bank Branch refers to a commercial banking outlet that offers banking services to walk-in customers. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including banking areas, vaults, lobbies, atriums, kitchens used by staff, restrooms, conference rooms, storage areas, stairways, and elevator shafts.
Courthouse	Courthouse	Courthouse refers to buildings used for federal, state, or local courts, and associated administrative office space. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including temporary holding cells, chambers, kitchens used by staff, lobbies, atriums, conference rooms and auditoriums, fitness areas for staff, restrooms, storage areas, stairways, and elevator shafts.
Data Center	DataCenter	Data Center refers to buildings specifically designed and equipped to meet the needs of high density computing equipment, such as server racks, used for data storage and processing. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s) including raised floor computing space, server rack aisles, storage silos, control console areas, battery rooms, mechanical rooms for cooling equipment, administrative office areas, elevator shafts, stairways, break rooms and restrooms. Additional details available on ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager's Glossary.
Education - College/University (campus-level)	CollegeUniversity	College/University refers to buildings used for the purpose of higher education. This includes public and private colleges and universities. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including classrooms, laboratories, offices, cafeterias, maintenance facilities, arts facilities, athletic facilities, residential areas, storage rooms, restrooms, elevator shafts, and stairways.
Education – General	AdultEducation	Adult Education refers to buildings used primarily for providing adult students with continuing education, workforce development, or professional development outside of the college or university setting. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including classrooms, administrative space, conference rooms, kitchens used by staff, lobbies, cafeterias, auditoriums, restrooms, stairways, atriums, elevator shafts, and storage areas.
Education - K-12 School	K-12School	K-12 School refers to buildings or campuses used as a school for Kindergarten through 12th grade students. This does not include college or university classroom facilities/laboratories, vocational, technical, trade, adult or continuing education schools, preschool, or day care. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including classrooms, administrative space, conference rooms, restrooms, kitchens used by staff, lobbies, cafeterias, gymnasiums, auditoriums, laboratory classrooms, portable classrooms, greenhouses, stairways, atriums, elevator shafts, small landscaping sheds, and storage areas. Additional details available on ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager's Glossary.
Food Sales - Convenience Store (w/ or w/out gas station)	ConvenienceStoreAndGas	Convenience Store with Gas Station refers to buildings that are co-located with gas stations and are used for the sale of a limited range of items such as groceries, toiletries, newspapers, soft drinks, tobacco products, and other everyday items. Convenience Store with Gas Station may include space for vehicle servicing and repair. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including sales floors, restrooms, offices, staff break rooms, storage areas, and vehicle repair areas. Energy use associated with outside areas such as vehicle parking and gas filling areas should be included with the total energy use for the building(s), but the square footage associated with these outdoor areas should *not be included* in the Gross Floor Area.
Food Sales – General	FoodSales	FoodSales refers to buildings used to conduct the retail sale of a wide variety of merchandise, typically in bulk quantities. Merchandise may include food, clothing, office supplies, furniture, electronics, books, sporting goods, toys, and hardware. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including the sales floor, offices, storage areas, kitchens, staff break rooms, elevators, and stairwells.
Food Sales - Supermarket/Grocery	Supermarket	Supermarket refers to buildings used for the retail sale of primarily food and beverage products, and which may include small amounts of preparation and sale of ready-to-eat food. Buildings where the primary business is the onsite preparation and sale of ready-to-eat food should use one of the Restaurant property types. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including the sales floor, offices, storage areas, kitchens, staff break rooms, and stairwells.
Food Service - Fast Food	FastFoodRestaurant	Fast Food Restaurant, also known as Quick Service Restaurant, refers to buildings used for the preparation and sale of ready-to-eat food. Fast Food Restaurants are characterized by a limited menu of food prepared quickly (often within a few minutes), and sometimes cooked in bulk in advance and kept hot. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including kitchens, sales areas, dining areas, restrooms, offices, staff break rooms, and storage areas. Gross Floor Area should *not include* any outdoor/exterior seating areas, but the energy use of these outdoor areas should be reported on your energy meters.
Food Service – General	FoodService	Food Service refers to buildings used for preparation and sale of food and beverages, but which do not meet the definition of Restaurant or Bar/Nightclub. For example a bakery or coffee shop. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including kitchens, sales areas, dining areas, staff break rooms, restrooms, and storage areas. Gross Floor Area should *not include* any outdoor/exterior seating areas, but the energy use of these outdoor areas should be reported on your energy meters.
Food Service - Restaurant/Cafeteria	Restaurant	Restaurant refers to buildings used for preparation and sale of ready-to-eat food and beverages, but which do not fit in the fast food property type. Examples include fast casual, casual, and fine dining restaurants. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including kitchens, sales areas, dining areas, offices, staff break rooms, and storage areas. Gross Floor Area should *not include* any outdoor/exterior seating areas, but the energy use of these outdoor areas should be reported.
Health Care – Clinic	MedicalOffice	Medical Office refers to buildings used to provide diagnosis and treatment for medical, dental, or psychiatric outpatient care. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building including offices, exam rooms, operating rooms for outpatient surgical procedures, laboratories, lobbies, atriums, conference rooms and auditoriums, employee break rooms and kitchens, restrooms, elevator shafts, stairways, mechanical rooms, and storage areas.
Health Care - Hospital Inpatient	Hospital	Hospital refers to a general medical and surgical hospital (including critical access hospitals and children’s hospitals). These facilities provide acute care services including emergency medical care, physician's office services, diagnostic care, ambulatory care, surgical care, and limited specialty services such as rehabilitation and cancer care. Hospitals must have in-patient beds and offer overnight care. Gross Floor Area (GFA) should include all space within the building(s) on the campus including operating rooms, bedrooms, emergency treatment areas, medical offices, exam rooms, laboratories, lobbies, atriums, cafeterias, restrooms, stairways, corridors connecting buildings, storage areas, and elevator shafts. Additional details available on ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager's Glossary.
Health Care - Medical Office	MedicalOffice	Medical Office refers to buildings used to provide diagnosis and treatment for medical, dental, or psychiatric outpatient care. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building including offices, exam rooms, operating rooms for outpatient surgical procedures, laboratories, lobbies, atriums, conference rooms and auditoriums, employee break rooms and kitchens, restrooms, elevator shafts, stairways, mechanical rooms, and storage areas.
Health Care - Nursing/Assisted Living	SeniorCare	Senior Living Community refers to buildings that house and provide care and assistance for elderly residents, specifically homes (skilled nursing facilities) and assisted living facilities. It is NOT intended for retirement or other senior communities that offer only independent living – a community with only independent living should benchmark as a Multifamily property. Additional details available on ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager's Glossary.
Health Care - Outpatient – General	AmbulatorySurgicalCenter	AmbulatorySurgicalCenter Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s) including offices, exam rooms, waiting rooms, indoor pool areas, atriums, employee break rooms and kitchens, rest rooms, elevator shafts, stairways, mechanical rooms, and storage areas.
Laboratory - recommend use of Labs21	Laboratory	Laboratory refers to buildings that provide controlled conditions in which scientific research, measurement, and experiments are performed or practical science is taught. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s) including workstations/hoods, offices, conference rooms, restrooms, storage areas, decontamination rooms, mechanical rooms, elevator shafts, and stairwells.
Lodging – General	OtherLodgingResidential	Other – Lodging/Residential refers to buildings used for residential purposes other than those described in the available property uses in Portfolio Manager (i.e. residential other than multifamily residential, single family home, senior living community, residence hall/dormitory, barracks, prison/incarceration, or hotel). Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including living areas, common areas, administrative space, kitchens used by staff, lobbies, waiting areas, cafeterias, stairways, atriums, elevator shafts, and storage areas.
Lodging - Hotel/Motel	Hotel	Hotel refers to buildings renting overnight accommodations on a room/suite and nightly basis, and typically include a bath/shower and other facilities in guest rooms. Gross Floor Area should include all interior space within the building(s), including guestrooms, halls, lobbies, atriums, food preparation and restaurant space, conference and banquet space, fitness centers/spas, indoor pool areas, laundry facilities, elevator shafts, stairways, mechanical rooms, storage areas, employee break rooms, restrooms, and back-of-house offices. Additional details available on ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager's Glossary.
Lodging - Residence Hall/Dormitory	ResidenceHall	Residence Hall/Dormitory refers to buildings associated with educational institutions or military facilities which offer multiple accommodations for long-term residents. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including bedrooms, common areas, food service facilities, laundry facilities, meeting spaces, exercise rooms, health club/spas, lobbies, elevator shafts, storage areas, and stairways.
Mixed-Use	Mixed Use	A Mixed Use (or multi use) property is one that contains multiple property types, none of which are *greater than* 50% of the total Gross Floor Area (GFA), *including parking GFA*.
Office - Small ( < 10,000 sf)	Office	Office refers to buildings used to conduct commercial or governmental business activities. This includes administrative and professional offices. Gross Floor Area (GFA) should include all space within the building(s) including offices, conference rooms and auditoriums, break rooms, restrooms, kitchens, lobbies, fitness areas, basements, storage areas, stairways, and elevator shafts.
Office - Medium (< 100,000 sf)	Office
Office – Large	Office
Other	Other	Other refers to buildings that do not fall within the available property use categories in Portfolio Manager. Before selecting Other, it is highly recommended that you review the full list of property uses available for selection to ensure that there is not a suitable category for your property. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including space devoted to your main business activity, administrative offices, employee break rooms, bathrooms, stairways, and elevator shafts.
Parking	TransportationTerminal	Transportation Terminal refers to buildings and lots used for parking vehicles. This includes open parking lots, partially enclosed parking structures, and completely enclosed (or underground) parking structures. Parking structures may be free standing or physically connected to the property. Additional details available on ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager's Glossary and below the use type table for additional program guidance.
Public Assembly - Entertainment/Culture	PerformingArts	Performing Arts refers to buildings used for public or private artistic or musical performances. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including seating, stage and backstage areas, food service areas, retail areas, rehearsal studios, administrative/office space, mechanical rooms, storage areas, elevator shafts, and stairwells.
Public Assembly – General	MeetingHall	Other – Public Services refers to buildings used by public-sector organizations to provide public services other than those described in the available property uses in Portfolio Manager (i.e. services other than offices, courthouses, drinking water treatment and distribution plants, fire stations, libraries, mailing centers or post offices, police stations, prisons or incarceration facilities, social or meeting halls, transportation terminals or stations, or wastewater treatment plants). Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including administrative space, kitchens used by staff, lobbies, waiting areas, cafeterias, stairways, atriums, elevator shafts, landscaping sheds, and storage areas.
Public Assembly – Library	Library	Library refers to buildings used to store and manage collections of literary and artistic materials such as books, periodicals, newspapers, films, etc. that can be used for reference or lending. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including circulation rooms, storage areas, reading/study rooms, restrooms, administrative space, kitchens used by staff, lobbies, conference rooms and auditoriums, fitness areas for staff, storage areas, stairways, and elevator shafts.
Public Assembly – Recreation	OtherRecreation	Other-Recreation refers to buildings primarily used for recreation that do not meet the definition of any other property use defined in Portfolio Manager. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including recreational areas and supporting activities such as mechanical rooms, storage areas, elevator shafts, and stairwells.
Public Assembly - Social/Meeting	MeetingHall	Meeting hall refers to buildings primarily used for public or private gatherings. This may include community group meetings, seminars, workshops, or performances. Please note that there is another property use available, Convention Center, for large exhibition and conference facilities. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including meeting rooms, auditoriums, food service areas, lobbies, administrative/office space, mechanical rooms, storage areas, elevator shafts, and stairwells.
Public Safety - Fire/Police Station	FireStation	Fire Station refers to buildings used to provide emergency response services associated with fires. Fire stations may be staffed by either volunteer or full-time paid firemen. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including office areas, vehicle storage areas, residential areas (if applicable), storage areas, break rooms, restrooms, kitchens, elevator shafts, and stairwells.
Public Safety – General	PoliceStation	Police Station applies to buildings used for federal, state, or local police forces and their associated office space. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including offices, temporary holding cells, kitchens used by staff, lobbies, atriums, conference rooms and auditoriums, fitness areas for staff, storage areas, stairways, and elevator shafts.
Religious Worship	WorshipCenter	Worship Center refers to buildings that are used as places of worship. This includes churches, temples, mosques, synagogues, meetinghouses, or any other buildings that primarily function as a place of religious worship. Gross Floor Area should include all areas inside the building that includes the primary worship area, including food preparation, community rooms, classrooms, and supporting areas such as restrooms, storage areas, hallways, and elevator shafts.
Residential - Mobile Homes	SingleFamilyHome	Single Family Home refers to a standalone building with its own lot that provides living space for one household or family. Gross Floor Area should include all finished space within the home, including living areas, bedrooms, and finished basements and attics; finished Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) on the same energy meter should also be included. Do not include unfinished basements, unfinished attics, or garages.
Residential - Multi-Family, 2 to 4 units	MultifamilyHousing	Multifamily Housing refers to residential properties that contain two or more residential living units. Occupants of these buildings may include tenants, cooperators, and/or individual owners.
Residential - Multi-Family, 5 or more units	MultifamilyHousing
Residential - Single-Family Attached	SingleFamilyAttached	Single Family Home refers to a standalone building with its own lot that provides living space for one household or family. Gross Floor Area should include all finished space within the home, including living areas, bedrooms, and finished basements and attics; finished Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) on the same energy meter should also be included. Do not include unfinished basements, unfinished attics, or garages.
Residential - Single-Family Detached	SingleFamilyDetached
Residential - Mid-Rise/HIgh-Rise	MultiFamily	Multifamily housing with 5+ stories or greater is considered mid-rise/high-rise.
Retail – Mall	EnclosedMall	Enclosed Mall refers to buildings that house multiple stores, often “anchored” by one or more department stores, and with interior walkways. Most stores will not have entrances accessible from outside, with the exception of the “anchor” stores. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including retail stores, offices, food courts, restaurants, restrooms, storage areas, staff break rooms, atriums, walkways, stairwells, and mechanical rooms.
Retail - Non-mall, Vehicle Dealerships, misc.	AutomobileDealership	Automobile Dealership refers to buildings used for the sale of new or used cars and light trucks. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including sales floors, offices, conference rooms, vehicle service centers, parts storage areas, waiting rooms, staff break rooms, restrooms, hallways, and stairwells. Gross Floor Area should *not include* any exterior spaces such as vehicle parking areas.
Retail Store	Retail	Retail refers to individual stores used to conduct the retail sale of non-food consumer goods such as Department Stores, Discount Stores, Drug Stores, Dollar Stores, Hardware Stores, and Apparel/Specialty Stores (e.g. books, clothing, office products, sporting goods, toys, home goods, and electronics). Buildings containing multiple stores should be classified as enclosed mall, lifestyle center, or strip mall. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including sales areas, storage areas, offices staff break rooms, elevators, and stairwells.
Service (vehicle repair/service, postal service)	OtherPublicServices	Other Public Services refers to buildings in which some type of repair service is provided. Examples include vehicle service or repair shops, shoe repair, jewelry repair, locksmiths, etc. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including sales floors, repair areas, workshops, offices, parts storage areas, waiting rooms, staff break rooms, hallways, and stairwells.
Storage - Distribution/Shipping Center	Distribution Center	Distribution Center refers to unrefrigerated buildings that are used for the temporary storage and redistribution of goods, manufactured products, merchandise or raw materials. Buildings that are used primarily for assembling, modifying, manufacturing, or growing goods, products, merchandise or raw material should be classified as Manufacturing Facility. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s) including space designed to store non-perishable goods and merchandise, offices, lobbies, stairways, restrooms, equipment storage areas, and elevator shafts. This should *not include* exterior/outdoor loading bays or docks.
Storage – General	WarehouseUnRefrigerated	Non-Refrigerated Warehouse refers to unrefrigerated buildings that are used to store goods, manufactured products, merchandise or raw materials. Buildings that are used primarily for assembling, modifying, manufacturing, or growing goods, products, merchandise or raw material should be classified as Manufacturing Facility. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including the main storage rooms, administrative office offices, lobbies, stairways, restrooms, equipment storage areas, and elevator shafts. This should *not include* exterior/outdoor loading bays or docks.
Storage - Non-refrigerated warehouse	WarehouseUnRefrigerated
Storage - Refrigerated warehouse	WarehouseRefrigerated	Refrigerated Warehouse refers to refrigerated buildings that are used to store or redistribute perishable goods or merchandise under refrigeration at temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). Buildings that are used primarily for assembling, modifying, manufacturing, or growing goods, products, merchandise or raw material should be classified as Manufacturing Facility. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), which includes temperature-controlled areas, administrative offices, lobbies, stairways, restrooms, equipment storage areas, and elevator shafts. This should *not include* exterior/outdoor loading bays or docks.
Warehouse - Self-storage	SelfStorageFacility	Self-Storage Facility refers to buildings that are used for private storage. Typically, a single Self Storage Facility will contain a variety of individual units that are rented out for the purpose of storing personal belongings. Gross Floor Area should include all space within the building(s), including individual storage units, administrative offices, security and maintenance areas, mechanical rooms, hallways, stairways, and elevator shafts. This should *not include* exterior/outdoor loading bays or docks.

Parking Use Type

The use type includes open, partially enclosed, and completely enclosed parking. The area entered for parking should be the sum of the areas for the three parking types.

If a project which includes parking within the building has been modeled and can be analyzed in Zero Tool, use Zero Tool, entering parking as a secondary space type to arrive at a comparable average EUI. If the project has not been modeled or cannot be analyzed in Zero Tool, exclude the parking area from the total GSF.

For example, for a project consisting of a 150,000 sf office building and separately includes three parking types (open = 10,000, partially enclosed = 20,000, fully enclosed = 30,000), enter Office - Large as the first use type, with 150,000 sf, and then add Parking as the second use type with a square footage of 60,000. This will allow the parking to be reflected in the Baseline Energy Use calculation.