The guideline can be used in transactions between energy service companies and their customers and between companies and utilities, where the utilities purchase energy savings. It provides guidance on minimum acceptable levels of performance in determining energy and demand savings in commercial transactions, Reeves said.

"The guideline provides well-specified means to accurate savings results so the parties to the transaction have adequate assurance for the payment basis," he said. The guideline provides for using measured pre- and post-retrofit data to quantify the billing determinants used for calculating energy and demand savings payments to energy companies, utilities or others.