Overview
ISO 12655:2013 - Energy performance of buildings - Presentation of measured energy use of buildings - provides a clear, consistent methodology for presenting actual (measured) building energy use. The standard defines how to specify what energy is used (usage), where in the energy chain it is measured (boundary), and how energy data are expressed (original energy carriers or equivalent energy). It is intended for civil buildings and supports data collection, metering, statistics, energy audit and analysis. Measuring methods themselves are out of scope.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Classification by usage: standardizes categories such as space heating, space cooling, air movement (ventilation fans), domestic hot water, lighting, household/office appliances, indoor transportation (lifts/escalators), building auxiliary devices (pumps, automatic doors), cooking, cooling storage, data‑center devices and other specific functional devices.
- Boundary definitions: requires presentation of energy using clearly identified boundaries, e.g.:
- E_B - heat/cold reaching the building space
- E_T - energy delivered to the building’s technical systems
- E_D - energy input to district heating/cooling system
- E_R - renewable energy produced on the building site
- Expression of energy carriers: allows reporting with original energy carriers (electricity, gas, fuel) or equivalent energy using standardized conversion approaches; subscripts/labels must indicate the carrier or conversion basis so data remain interpretable.
- Presentation format: specifies terminology, symbols and consistent presentation rules (including annexes with symbols and illustrative examples) to enable uniform reporting, comparison and aggregation of building energy data.
- Scope limitations: focuses on how to present measured energy use for analysis and reporting - it does not prescribe measurement techniques or instrumentation.
Practical applications and users
ISO 12655:2013 is useful where consistent presentation of measured building energy is required:
- Energy managers, building owners and facility managers preparing energy reports or benchmarking portfolios
- Energy auditors, consultants and certifiers compiling measured‑use audits and diagnostics
- Metering and data‑collection teams and utilities integrating building consumption for statistics and billing reconciliation
- Policy makers and statisticians aggregating building energy data at regional or national level
- Software developers building energy‑management and reporting tools that must support standardized data fields and boundaries
Related standards
- ISO/TR 16344 - common terms, definitions and symbols for energy performance rating and certification
- ISO 16343 and ISO 16346 - related guidance on energy rating and performance assessment
ISO 12655:2013 complements these by defining a uniform platform for presenting measured energy use that supports comparison, audit and statistical analysis.
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