Energy benchmarking is a crucial tool in the field of energy management. It involves the systematic tracking of a building or campus of building’s annual energy consumption and comparing it to a standard metric set forth by your jurisdiction, in conjunction with the EPA, based on Building Type. By doing so, benchmarking allows us to gain valuable insights into energy consumption patterns and identify areas for improvement.
One of the key benefits of energy benchmarking is its ability to highlight energy-saving opportunities within a portfolio of buildings. By comparing the performance of different buildings, property owners and managers can identify which buildings in their portfolio are underperforming; which buildings may be required to enter into required Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) compliance, and take steps to both rectify the situation, and bring your building(s) into compliance. For buildings performing well, this also offers the opportunity for the building to receive Energy Star Certification (contingent upon eligible building type). This not only helps reduce energy waste, but brings properties required to be in compliance through a compliance cycle annually, and also leads to significant cost savings in the long run.
Montgomery County's Energy Benchmarking Lawrequires building owners on the covered buildings list to:
- Track the energy use of buildings 25,000 gross square feet and greater in the county in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager,
- Have data verified by a Recognized Data Verifier the first year and every three years thereafter,
- Report data to the County annually for public disclosure, and
- Meet long-term site energy use intensity performance standards.
For all buildings required to benchmark their energy consumption on an annual basis, Montgomery County’s Covered Buildings List, Click HERE!
Contact Falcon's Certified Benchmarking Ambassadors today for more information!