Step One… Energy Efficiency Process
Benchmarking is the process of comparing the cost and quantity of energy use. Essentially, benchmarking provides a snapshot of the performance of your business and helps you understand where you are in relation to a standard. The result is often a business case for making changes, in order to make improvements.
EPA has made this step easier by providing a national energy performance rating system, currently available for office buildings, K-12 schools, grocery stores, hotels, and hospitals. The rating system, found in Portfolio Manager, allows you to compare your performance against similar facilities. Benchmarking can be done in variety of ways. Facility or organizational performance may be benchmarked to.
ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager, lets you compare the energy performance of your facilities to similar buildings nationwide. Portfolio Manager also normalizes for weather and several other important building and operational characteristics, allowing comparisons to be made on a level playing field.
By inputting energy and building information, this tool provides a benchmark score on a scale of 1-100. Buildings with a score of 75 or over are eligible for the ENERGY STAR Label. Many of the most effective energy management programs rate the performance of their entire building portfolio. This type of comparison allows energy managers to identify inefficient buildings for upgrades.EPA recognizes buildings with superior performance.
Buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR use about 40 percent less energy than average buildings, without compromising comfort or services. Benchmarks are currently available for office buildings, K-12 schools, grocery stores, hospitals, and hotels. Additional buildings space benchmarks are planned for the future. Check the Portfolio Manager section of the ENERGY STAR web site for recent updates.
After you have gathered and input your data you will receive a report.
Your buildings standing compared to other buildings in your category:
Your rating will be between 0 to 100%, with 50% being the average building.
75%+ qualified for the “Energy Star Plaque”.
73% required for “LEED Existing Building Certification”.
Benchmarking Information Checklist
Company:
Building:
Building Manager Name
Address:
City/State/Zip:
Copy of electric, gas, water, other utility bills: (min 1 year)
Or Letter of Authorization for your Utilities to release data:
Gross floor area (sq. ft.):
Weekly operating hours:
Number of PC’s:
Number of workers on main shift:
Number of cash registers:
Number of licensed beds:
Number of rooms:
Tertiary care?:
Food prep/cooking facility?:
Open weekends?:
High School?:
Number of commercial refrigeration/freezer units?:
Number of walk-in refrigerator/freezer units?:
Number of open/closed refrigeration cases?:
Gross floor area that is air conditioned?:
Gross floor area that is heated?:
Warehouse refrigerated/unrefrigerated (sq. ft.)?:
Any high bay lighting systems?:
Enclosed parking area (sq. ft.):
Open parking area w/roof (sq. ft.):
Parking area no roof (sq. ft.):
Swimming pool (sq. ft.) indoor/outdoor?:
