A method for determining the total heat loss coefficient, the effective heat capacity and the net solar gain of a building is presented. The method uses a linear regressions approach based on daily energy consumption combined with readily available meteorological data. The effective heat capacity of the building is evaluated by correlating the energy consumption and outdoor temperature changes from the previous day. The net solar gain of the building is assessed by analysing the data separated into groups by amount of daily solar irradiation. Corrected total heat loss coefficient is determined by explicitly including in the building's energy balance the accumulated heat and the solar gain. The method has been applied to the analysis of nine public buildings in Spain. An improvement of the estimated heat loss coefficient due to the corrections is observed. The effective heat capacity normalised by the building area is shown to be a useful indicator of the building operation, detecting continuous or intermittent heating. The estimated parameters in this study can enable specific benchmarking, detecting opportunities for energy savings and evaluating their potential. With the increasing implementation of smart metering technologies, the method is promising for application to the analysis of large building stocks. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.