DEER Website Users Guide

The Database for Energy Efficiency Resources (DEER) is a California Public Utilities
Commission (CPUC) and California Energy Commission (CEC) sponsored database
designed to provide well documented estimates of energy and peak demand savings values,
measure costs, and effective useful life (EUL) available all within one data source. The users
of the data are intended to be program planners, regulatory reviewers and planners, utility
and regulatory forecasters, and consultants supporting utility and regulatory research and
evaluation efforts. The database is designed to be both an internet searchable tool as well as
being available as a downloadable database.
This guide provides a brief overview on how to use the DEER website, describes the
available data, and provides example queries to demonstrate its operation. The user should
remember that new information is always becoming available and that this data represents
the best information found at a specific point in time. It is expected that this database will be
updated on a periodic basis.

1.1 Key Data Considerations

There are over 130,000 unique records representing over 360 unique measures within the
DEER dataset. Where appropriate, measure information is available for 16 different
California climatic zones, 36 different building types or SIC classifications, five building
vintages for single family, multifamily, and nonresidential, and four bulding vintages for
mobile homes.
The Glossary, which is available as a separate download, provides a brief description of each
variable contained within the database. The user should download this Glossary and be
familiar with the codes and data structure. However, there are some key elements that need
to be emphasized. These include:
Customer baseline vs. code baseline
Energy common units vs. cost common units
Application and cost basis
1.1.1 Customer Baseline vs. Code Baseline
The impact from an energy efficiency measure can be calculated in two ways depending if
there are any energy-related Codes or Standards affecting the installation of those measures.
The California Building Energy Code, Title 24, and the Federal Appliance Standards are

examples of specific codes and standards that can affect what baseline should be used to
estimate energy and demand impacts. How an energy efficiency program is designed and
implemented will affect which baseline is the more appropriate baseline to utilize.
Within the database, specifically within the detailed measure information page as illustrated
in Figure 8, the user will find references to variables with the word Customer in front of
them and others that have the word Code in front of them. These two sets of variable
information identify the baseline technology description, baseline energy use and demand,
and efficiency measure impacts. The set of Customer described variables refer to a
baseline that is an estimate of the currently installed technology within the home or business.
The set of Code described variables refer to a baseline where minimum mandated code
requirement efficiency must be considered before estimating the measure impacts.
Which set of impacts (customer or code) to use is dependent on how the user wants to use the
data or how the planner wants to design a program. An energy forecaster is likely interested
in Customer based impacts for existing buildings and Code based impacts for new
construction. A program planners use of the data will depend on program design. DEER
recognizes three types of measure applications:
Replace on Burnout (ROB): equipment is replaced only when it no longer
functions.
Retrofit (RET): equipment is either added, such as a photocell control to a
lighting system, or is replaced before the useful life of the existing equipment is
over, such as early replacement of fully functional refrigerators.
New Construction (NEW): Higher efficiency equipment is installed rather than
standard, less efficient equipment in a new construction, alteration, or
renovation project. An assumption is made that the less efficient, standard
equipment meets current applicable codes requirements.
The ROB and NEW program applications would generally utilize the Code based impacts
while RET would utilize the Customer based impacts. Note that these are general
guidelines and exceptions may exist: for example some early replacements retrofit cases may
trigger code compliance and hence Code based estimates need to be used for these
RETcases. Many of the non-weather sensitive measures do not have Customer based
impacts. This is because the non-weather sensitive measure impacts were developed during
Phase 1 of this update and only minimal modifications were funded under this current Phase
2 effort. The data development mandate at that time was to utilize a Code baseline in all
cases unless there was no code or standard in place for the technology. Future DEER
updates will likely expand the number of non-weather sensitive Customer based estimates.

1.1.2 Energy Common Units vs. Cost Common Units

The energy impacts and the cost estimates were developed by two separate teams under
separate contracts and the results merged through this DEER update so as to provide a single
complete set of information. In past DEER versions, there was no direct connection between
the energy impact portion of the database and the cost portion. This lack of connection
limited the usefulness of these past versions of DEER and it was among the goals of this
update to provide as much linkage as possible between the energy and cost elements of the
database.
For most measures (over 90%), the common units for the energy impacts and the associated
measure costs are the same. This common unit is identified by the Common Unit Name
variable. If the cost common unit is the same as the energy common unit, it is identified as
so within the Cost Application variable by the wording -same at the end of the Cost
Basis variable. If the cost common unit is different, then this wording is changed to reflect
the cost common unit. As an example of this, measure ID D03-911 is high efficiency water
heater in non-residential building. For this measure, the energy common unit is 1000 sqft
building while the cost common unit is the water heater tank. The cost common unit is
indicated as being different within the Cost Basis variable by the wording -WtrHtr at its
end.
In addition to identifying if the cost common units are different from the energy common
units, the Cost Basis variable is used to define for each measure the appropriate cost that
should be utilized by the user. Two types of Cost Basis values are provided and are linked
to the Application variable by the order provided. The two types of cost identified are:
Incremental (INCR) the differential equipment cost between a base
technology and an energy efficient technology defined as:
Incremental cost (INCR) = Measure equipment cost - base case equipment
cost
Installed (FULL) the full or installed cost of the measure including
equipment, labor, overhead & profit (OH&P) defined as:
Installed cost (FULL) = measure equipment cost + labor including OH&P
1.1.3 Application and Cost Basis
The application and cost basis are defined for each measure. Specific program applications
may justify different application and cost basis values. Typically, for a retrofit (RET)
application where an existing technology is being displaced there is a labor component and

the cost basis is FULL or installed. An example is replacing an operational incandescent exit
sign in an existing building with an LED exit sign.
Similarly, for ROB and NEW applications, where the choice is typically between a more and
less efficient alternative, the cost basis is typically incremental (INCR). An example is
installing a higher SEER AC unit at the end of the useful life of the existing unit.
FULL or installed cost typically uses the measure equipment cost of the technology, not an
incremental cost. In most cases, there is no incremental cost. For example, occupancy
sensors that are designated as retrofit (RET) applications are assumed to have a cost basis of
FULL and use the cost of the sensor (measure equipment cost) plus the labor to install it.
There is no incremental cost in this case because the baseline is the absence of a sensor or an
existing conventional on/off switch that is being displaced.
Measure ID D03-940 for Point of use Water Heat will be used as an example of the mapping
between the Application variable and the Cost Basis variable. When looking at the
measure detail sheet for this measure (as illustrated in Figure 8), we see that the
Application variable has the value RET/ROB/NEW. The Cost Basis variable has the
value FULL/INCR/INCR same. The first application value RET is mapped to the cost
value FULL, the second ROB to INCR, and the third NEW to INCR. The same means the energy and cost common units are the same.
1.1.4 Building Vintages
There are different building vintages for the residential single family, multifamily, mobile
homes, and non residential building types. Where part of a vintage description applies to
particular building type, it is reflected in the definition. The vintage categories are:
Built before 1978
Built between 1978 and 1992
Built between 1993 and 2001
Built between 2002 and 2005
Built 2006 and later (measures as retrofit for non residential)
Built 2006 and later (measures as new construction for nonresidential)
Mobile homes built before 1976
Mobile homes built between 1976 and 1994
Mobile homes built between 1995 and 2005
Mobile homes built 2006 and later
Single family and multifamily residential measures have the same vintage categories. Non
residential vintage categories have a slight difference from residential vintage categories for
the new vintage. When a non residential measure appears with a vintage Built 2006 and

later (measures as retrofit for non residential), this means that the measure is assumed to
apply to retrofit applications only in nonresidential. Similarly, when a non residential
measure appears with a vintage Built 2006 and later (measures as new construction for
nonresidential), this means the measure is assumed to apply only to new construction in
nonresidential. For residential measures, all vintages that indicate Built 2006 and later
apply to both new construction and retrofit as there is no distinction between these two cases.

1.2 Website Navigation

The DEER homepage, as shown in Figure 1, has three main areas of operation:
Browse Measures
Supporting Documents
Quick Search
The Browse Measures section is the most commonly used. Here, the data is divided into
weather sensitive and non-weather sensitive measures as well as residential and nonresidential. The Supporting Documents section provides a number of different documents
that the user will find useful. Quick Search is generally used if a specific Run ID or
Measure ID is known and the user wants to check it quickly. Keywords words can also be
entered, such as pool pumps and all references to pool pumps will be listed, or portions
of a Measure ID or Run ID such as Evp could be entered and all the evaporative cooler
measures would be listed.

Figure 1: DEER Website Opening Webpage

1.2.1 Browse Measures

Most users will utilize this portion of the website to obtain measure specific information.
The section is arranged into the four major categories of non-weather sensitive residential,
non-weather sensitive non-residential, weather sensitive residential, and weather sensitive
- non-residential.
Within each of these four major categories, further filtering options are provided by
technology category and sub-category. Table 1 through Table 4 identify the available
categories and sub-categories for each of these four major categories.

Table 1: Residential Weather Sensitive Categories and Sub Categories

Residential - Weather Sensitive
Category
Sub-category
HVAC
Controls
HVAC
Equip
SHELL
Fenestration
SHELL
Insulation

Table 2: Residential Non-Weather Sensitive Categories and Sub Categories

Residential - Non-weather Sensitive
Category
Sub-category
CDR
Efficient Clothes Dryer
DHWR
Energy Star Clothes Washer
DHWR
Energy Star Dishwasher
DHWR
Faucet Aerators
DHWR
Heat Pump Water Heater
DHWR
High Efficiency Water Heater
DHWR
Low Flow Showerhead
DHWR
Pipe wrap
LTG
CFL LAMPs
POOL
Pool Pump
RREF
Energy Star Refrigerators
RREF
Freezer Recycling
RREF
Refrigerator Recycling

Table 3: Non-Residential Weather Sensitive Categories and Sub Categories

Non-residential - Weather Sensitive
Category
Sub-category
HVAC
Controls
HVAC
Equip
HVAC
HeatRej
HVAC
Insulation
LTG
Demand
RFRIG
Maintenance
SHELL
Daylighting
SHELL
Fenestration
SHELL
Shell

Table 4: Non-Residential Non-Weather Sensitive Categories and Sub

Categories
Non-residential - Non-weather Sensitive
Category
Sub-category
AG
Greenhouse
AG
Irrigation
AG
Ventiliation
AG
VFD
COOK
Fryer
COOK
Griddle
COOK
Holding Cabinet
COOK
Steamer
DHWR
Circulation Pump
DHWR
Point of Use
DHWR
Water Heater Tank
LTG
Ballast
LTG
CFL LAMPs
LTG
De-lamp
LTG
Exit Sign
LTG
Exterior Lighting
LTG
Four ft. Fluorescent
LTG
Metal Halide
LTG
Occupancy Sensor
LTG
Photocell
LTG
Timeclock
OTHR
MOTOR
OTHR
Vending Machine
PLUG
Copy Machine
SHW
Equip
SHW
Controls

Non-Weather Sensitive Residential Sector Webpage

Navigation within each of the four major categories is the same. We will utilize the NonWeather Sensitive Residential Sector for our example queries to demonstrate the operation
of this portion of the website. Figure 2 is a screen capture of the opening screen for this
category of measures. The links provided on the right to Related Programs and Related
Links are provided only for convenience and each link takes you to a website outside of
DEER. They have no direct relationship to the values contained within DEER.
Within Figure 2, four measure categories are listed. These include:

Interior Ambient & Task Lighting

Refrigeration
Hot Water
Clothes Dryers
Pools

Figure 2: Non-Weather Sensitive Residential Sector Webpage

Non-Weather Sensitive Residential Sector Screen with Hot Water Sub-Category List
Webpage
The example query will utilize the drop down menu of sub-categories under the Hot Water
category. This is illustrated within Figure 3. The sub-categories under the Hot Water
category include the following:
Energy Star dishwasher
Heat pump water heater
Energy Star clothes washer
High efficiency water heater

Pipe wrap
Low flow showerhead
Faucet aerators
Figure 3: Non-Weather Sensitive Residential Sector Screen with Hot Water
Sub-Category List Webpage

Non-Weather Sensitive Residential Hot Water Pipe Wrap Webpage

The Pipe Wrap sub-category will be utilized in this example query. After highlighting the
Pipe-Wrap sub-category, a new screen appears that has all the RunIDs included within
this sub-category. Figure 4 illustrates this new page of information. There are four
important areas of interest on this page. The first is the short summary of measure
information by RunID. The second is the area where further filtering can be done. The
third identifies how you want your summary data sorted. The fourth is the link to
downloading data.

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Figure 4: Non-Weather Sensitive Residential Hot Water Pipe Wrap

Webpage

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The measure information provided in the first area of importance is only a short summary of
the measure information available at the RunID level. Values for thirteen different
variables are provided for each RunID under this sub-category. These variables include:
Run ID
Measure ID
Name (Measure Name)
Vintage
Climate Zone
Common Unit
Above Code Electricity Savings
Above Code Peak Demand Savings
Above Code Natural Gas Savings
Measure Equipment Cost
Incremental Equipment Cost
Installed Cost
Additional measure level information (such as the customer based savings and EUL
information) is provided in the detailed information sheets, which will be covered in the
Section Detailed Measure Information later in this Guide. At the bottom of this area of
importance is an indicator of how many measures are included within this summary list of
measures and over how many pages the data exists. In this example, there are 32 Pipe
Wrap measures with summary information provided over two web pages of data.
The second area of importance provides options for further measure filtering. Further
filtering options are provided for the following:
Climate Zone
Savings Unit
Building Type
Vintage
Only the filtering options available for this particular sub-category of measures will be
visible.
The third area of importance is relatively minor. Within this area, the user can indicate how
they would like the summary data presented in the first area of importance is sorted. The

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summary data may be sorted by any of the 13 variables presented within the summary areas.
The order within the sorting category can be ascending or descending.
The fourth and final area of importance is the link to Download Measures as well as a link
to show the database Glossary. These links are on the far right hand side of the page.
Pressing the Glossary link reveals the database glossary. The upper half of this webpage is
illustrated in Figure 5.
Download Measures is a very useful link in that all of the detailed data for all the measures
included in the filtered summary portion of this screen (area of importance 1) can be
downloaded as an Excel spreadsheet. Figure 6 illustrates what the screen looks like when the
link Download Data is pressed.
Figure 5: Glossary Webpage

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Figure 6: Download Measures Webpage

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Revealing Detailed Measure Information

At this point, the user has the option to press the measure specific link for any of the
measures listed (the highlighted measure name under the Name column. In the example, it
is Pipe Wrap) to obtain detailed measure information or to filter the measures further.
Figure 7 illustrates the results of selecting climate zone China Lake-14 and building type
Residential Single Family as the filtering agents. The results in the summary section is a
single measure with the Run ID of RSFM14AVWHPwr.
Figure 7: Non-Weather Sensitive Residential Hot Water Pipe Wrap
Webpage Filtered by CZ and Building Type

Pressing the measure detail link Pipe Wrap under the Name column reveals the next
webpage, which is the detailed information about this particular measure. This detailed
information is illustrated in Figure 8 for Run ID RSFM14AVWHPwr.
The information available on this detailed page is arranged into blocks for ease of use. Block
1, the top block, includes basic measure, building, climate, fuel, and energy common unit
information. It should be noted that the Number of Common Units identifies how many of
the units are in the building.
Block two includes all of the Customer based variable information (see Section 1.1.1 for a
discussion on Customer vs. Code). This includes identification of the base technology,
baseline energy use and Customer based measure impacts.

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Block three contains the same type of information as Block two, but for the Code based
variables. Code based information is provided on the base technology, baseline energy use
and Code based measure impacts.
Block four includes cost information (see Section 1.1.2 and 1.1.3 for a discussion of the cost
information). Data is provided on measure application, cost basis, cost common units (if
different from energy common units) and various measure cost components.
The last variable show is set off by itself at the bottom of the list of data. It is the value for
measure effective useful life. At the bottom of the page is a listing of any specific references
that may be appropriate for this measure (none are listed for this example).

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Figure 8: Detailed Measure Information for Run ID RSFM14AVWHPwr

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1.2.2 Supporting Documents

Going back to the opening webpage (as illustrated in Figure 1), Supporting Documents is
the second are of operation. Provided here are links to spreadsheets and documents that are
directly related to the DEER database and program planning. Included are:
DEER Website Users Guide
Net-To-Gross Ratios Table
Access Tables
Glossary
Cost Data
Cost Data Users Guide
Consolidated Measure Data
New EUL Estimates 7-14-05
The DEER Website Users Guide refers to this document.
The Net-To-Gross Ratios Table provides net-to-gross ratios by program. They are directly
taken from the Energy Efficiency Policy Manual v2, prepared by the California Public
Utilities Commission, Energy Division and dated August, 2003.
The Access Tables are a very valuable download. This link allows the user to download
the entire DEER database in Access. The file is called DEER.mdb.
The Glossary link provides the user access to a glossary of each variable within DEER.
This information is very useful in gaining an understanding of the database.
The Cost Data link and its related Cost Data Users Guide link were developed and
provided by Summit Blue Consulting, who performed the separate update of the cost portion
of the DEER database. The cost data that is include with the measure impact information in
DEER is specific to the measure as modeled or measure as reported by their common units of
measure. Often, the DEER reported data represents an average across several different
related measures. For example, a SEER 14 packaged A/C unit comes in different tonnage
sizes, each with its own unique cost. The DEER reported cost is based on an average cost
per ton for SEER 14 units. However, program planners may want specific cost information
by size of unit. This more detailed cost information is available in the Cost Data
spreadsheet from Summit Blue. The corresponding Cost Data Users Guide provides
guidance in how to use and interpret the data.

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The Consolidated Measure Data link provides another very useful source of information.
DEER has within it over 130,000 unique records however, much of the information that is
useful to planners is the same at the measure ID level of which there are about 360. Effective
Useful Life (EUL), technology common units, and technology cost data is generally unique
only to the measure ID level and repeated for each of the variations by building type and
climate zone at the Run ID level. Therefore, the Consolidated Measure Data file was
developed to provide a succinct source for this more general, measure specific information.
The variables included in this file are as follows:
MeasureID
Measure Name
Measure Description
Customer Baseline
Code Baseline
Energy Common Units
Energy Common Unit Code
Cost Common Units
Cost Common Unit Code
EUL
EUL Source
Figure 9 illustrates a portion of the Consolidated Measure Data file. The variables listed
above are arranged horizontally along line 5. The information is provided in five tables
within the spreadsheet, as identified by the tabs at the bottom of Figure 9. These tabs are:
Refrig nonresidential refrigeration measures
Wea_Sen-NonRes nonresidential weather sensitive measures
Wea_Sen-Res residential weather sensitive measures
Non-Weath_Sen non weather sensitive measures
CFL compact fluorescent lamps
In addition to these five data tables, an additional table, Sources, is provided. This table
list the sources used for the measures by source reference number. Only the EUL source is
identified within the Consolidated Measure Data file. The other sources are referenced in
the DEER as a whole with the sources identified at the bottom of the detailed measure
information sheet. Figure 8 is a copy of the detailed measure information sheet, but in this
particular instance, no outside sources are identified for the measure Pipe Wrap.
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Figure 9: Consolidated Measure Spreadsheet

The EULs that are included within the Consolidated Measure Data file come from a
number of sources. However, most came from a report completed by SERA, Inc. and this
report is available through the New EUL Estimates 7-14-05 link.

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