Building energy models show bias, impacting energy savings in urban areas.
Urban building energy modeling (UBEM) is used to estimate energy use in neighborhoods and cities. A study in Chattanooga, Tennessee, found that UBEM models can be biased due to errors in building data like type and construction year. Adjusting for building size improves accuracy. Building energy use varies widely, but overall, the models are good at predicting total energy use. To get more accurate results, individual building data and model improvements are needed.