Energy Benchmarking
Benchmarking is the practice of comparing the measured performance of a device, process, facility, or organization to itself, its peers, or established norms, with the goal of informing and motivating performance improvement. When applied to building energy use, benchmarking serves as a mechanism to measure energy performance of a single building over time, relative to other similar buildings, or to modeled simulations of a reference building built to a specific standard (such as an energy code).
paleBLUEdot is an ENERGY STAR Service Provider and provides benchmarking services for individual buildings, as well as support to communities in establishing city-wide energy benchmarking policies and implementation programs.
Benchmarking The Impact of Our Buildings
Buildings make up 40% of total energy consumption in the United States. Meanwhile, the U.S. EPA estimates that up to 30% of the energy used in buildings is wasted – that’s a huge opportunity for energy savings. To tap into this potential for energy savings, local governments across the country have passed energy benchmarking and transparency policies that require certain buildings to record and report their energy use annually. The intent of benchmarking and disclosure initiatives is to ensure that real estate market participants, from building owners and managers, to tenants and design professionals, are fully informed about the energy performance of commercial buildings.
The Value of Energy Benchmarking.
A number of market studies have shown that buildings with above average energy performance have higher occupancy rates, command higher rents and sell at a premium when compared to similar buildings. Results from cities with energy transparency ordinances indicate that properties commonly start seeing energy use and cost savings of 4-10% after the first one to two years that they have benchmarked.
Annual Grennhouse Gas Emissions by US buildings.
Annual water use by buildings - both direct use and water used to generate electricity.
Benefits of Energy Benchmarking Infographic