Most building owners and operators know about energy benchmarking at some level. Some are only involved in benchmarking because it is required by many cities and states throughout the country. For example, there are over 50 jurisdictions that now require annual reporting of energy benchmarking data, so complying with these mandates is very important. However, a growing number of owners are becoming increasingly aware of the ongoing benefits of energy conservation and environmental stewardship that go hand-in-hand with benchmarking. When utilized properly for single buildings and throughout a portfolio of buildings, benchmarking via the ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® tool can also lead to significant energy and water reductions which can help buildings meet both sustainability goals and operating cost reductions.
Why Benchmark Using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager?
It is no secret that ENERGY STAR, which is backed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is a trusted symbol for energy efficiency. Portfolio Manager is an interactive tool that allows users to benchmark the energy use of any type of building, even if ENERGY STAR scores cannot be generated. This allows for evaluation of energy usage and other metrics, such as water, waste, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, via a standard online tool. Since almost 25% of U.S. commercial buildings are already using Portfolio Manager for benchmarking on some level, it is the industry-leading benchmarking tool.
ENERGY STAR certified buildings play a crucial role in conserving energy, reducing expenses, and demonstrating a company’s commitment to sustainability. Achieving ENERGY STAR certification requires a building to attain a score of 75 or greater, meaning that it operates 25% more efficiently than its peers in the same category. Your score is a good indicator of how far outside “normal” energy usage your building might be.
Why Pursue ENERGY STAR Certification?
It has been said that knowledge is power, and it is difficult for building owners to know how their building is performing without systematically performing energy benchmarking throughout their portfolio. This in turn can lead to significant power in making energy decisions and enacting strategies to improve performance.
Per the ENERGY STAR certification website, the following are some of the ways an ENERGY STAR-certified office building compares to its peers:
- Consumes 35% less energy and produces 35% fewer GHG emissions.
- Operates at a cost over $0.50 per square foot lower.
- Can realize higher rental and occupancy rates.
Executing an ENERGY STAR Program
Although the steps to execute an ENERGY STAR® program may vary depending on the building type and owner requirements, Burton has seen value in the following steps for clients:
- Gather data to accurately populate the Portfolio Manager tool to calculate individual ENERGY STAR scores for each building location.
- Verify data on a regular basis and conduct periodic updates of data to re-calculate scores over time and verify the energy reductions that have been achieved. The ENERGY STAR score should increase over time.
- Identify buildings with low scores and other outliers to focus on for energy conservation initiatives.
- Identify best practices from high-performing buildings that can be leveraged in other buildings as well.
- Identify sites that meet the minimum score of 75 and qualify for ENERGY STAR certification. This would involve site-level visits and verification by a Professional Engineer (PE). Burton has experience in managing and overseeing high-volume certification programs.
- Fully leverage the marketing benefits of ENERGY STAR.
Have you benchmarked your buildings to unlock the many benefits of benchmarking and ENERGY STAR certification? If not, there is no better time to start than today. While energy benchmarking compliance in order to avoid potentially costly fines, building owners who have seen the benefits firsthand know that the true benefits of benchmarking extend much further.
