What are the differences between the appearance of commercial buildings and resident buidings?

Answer 1

To begin with the obvious, the size. While there are some small commercial buildings, there are just a few high-rise residential buildings. Often new buildings are of mixed use, meaning that a building might have a number of floors devoted to retail space, some floors dedicated to residential space, and some floors for other uses such as functional needs to serve the building occupants. But that's pretty much it.
All the features that you can describe for a commercial building, can be used for a residence. There are no laws regarding the use of identifying features for either type building.

Answer 2

1) In the residential sector, space heating accounts for 43% of energy use. In the commercial sector, space heating is only 25% of energy use.

2) In terms of energy used for space heating, the residential sector uses twice as much renewable energy as the commercial sector.

3) In terms of percentage of related carbon emissions, space heating is twice as much in residential buildings than commercial buildings.

4) 93% of the residential sector’s direct greenhouse gas emissions come from the combustion of fossil fuels, primarily for heating and cooking. Only 60% of direct emissions come from on-site fossil fuel combustion in commercial buildings.

5)As a percent of total energy consumption, lighting in commercial buildings is twice that of residential buildings.