Cross posted from NABPC.org
The North Alabama Buildings Performance Challenge is up and running, which means it’s time to start conserving energy. If you’ve signed up for the challenge, you’ve committed your company to attaining 20% energy savings in your building within 10 years.
That’s fantastic. Hooray, you! But wait, now what?
We’re glad you asked.
Starting today, we’re running a three-part series about the primary steps that facility owners should take in order to achieve that target. By the time you finish all three posts, you should have learned all the info you’ll need to start crafting your energy-saving strategy.
Ready? Let’s get started. Our next two posts will cover energy audits and commissioning, but today, our topic is energy benchmarking.
Energy benchmarking, to give you a five-second definition, is the process of measuring how much energy a building consumes, and then comparing it to the same data from similar structures across the country. In other words, it’s a simple way for owners to see how efficiently–or inefficiently–their buildings are performing.
The process is part of the federal government’s ENERGY STAR program, and if you do well enough, your building will earn ENERGY STAR certification. But that’s for later. For now, you’ll need to figure out where to start.
Energy Benchmarking: First Steps
To do that, all you need is some basic information about your facility. Based on what type of building you have, you’ll use one of three specialized tools, all of which are available at EnergyStar.gov. Commercial buildings utilize the Portfolio Manager, while industrial plants need the Energy Tracking Tool. (There are actually 80 types of buildings in the Commercial category. You can see the full list, as well as the information needed for Portfolio Manager, here.) For new construction, there’s the Target Finder.
Once you’ve figured that out, you’ll be ready to benchmark. Based on how well your facility performs, you’ll receive a score anywhere between 1 and 100, with 100 being the best possible rating. A score of 50 is average, and anything over 75 will earn you ENERGY STAR certification.
Keep in mind, however, that not every building type is eligible for an ENERGY STAR score. (To find out what types are eligible, click here.) That said, the vast majority of property types do provide an Energy Use Index (EUI) reference.
What Next?
As you can see, there’s plenty of data out there, so benchmarking should give you a pretty good idea of where you stand in comparison to your peers. The news might be good or bad, but at least you’ll know. A wise man once said knowing is half the battle, and he was right. Once you’ve made that all-important discovery, you’ll be able to take action.
Oh, and another thing. Just because you’ve gone through the benchmarking process once, that doesn’t mean you’re finished forever. Actually, it’s the opposite. From EnergyStar.gov:
Benchmarking works best when it’s done consistently over time. Can you imagine a weight-loss plan in which you only weigh yourself once a year? Of course you can’t. That’s because you can’t manage what you’re not measuring.
In a recent study, EPA found that buildings that were benchmarked consistently reduced energy use by an average of 2.4 percent per year, for a total savings of 7 percent. And, buildings that started out as poor performers saved even more. See EPA’s Portfolio Manager DataTrends series for more information.
That’s why benchmarking is important, and why you should be doing it consistently. Once you have the information about your building, you should have some idea where to make improvements. And if you keep benchmarking year after year, you’ll continue to save money on energy costs.
Taking Action
Now that you know, it’s time to take action. If you’re interested, the process is as easy as it is accessible.
A couple months back, Energy Alabama and CEO Daniel Tait held a “benchmarking jam” session at a local brewery. Besides sampling some craft beer, energy experts and business leaders discussed ways to maximize energy and water efficiency throughout the community. To take part in the jam, the business reps only had to bring the following:
- Laptop or tablet
- The building street address, year built, and contact information.
- Twelve consecutive months of utility bills for all fuel types used in the building.
That was enough to get the ball rolling. And from there, the path runs straight toward evaluating your building and saving money on your energy bill. More energy benchmarking events are in the pipeline, but you don’t even have to wait. If you’re ready to begin the process now, contact Energy Alabama CEO Daniel Tait for more information.
Easy as it is, energy benchmarking isn’t the only step toward conquering the Huntsville Better Buildings Challenge. Next time, we’ll look at implementing what an energy audit can do for you.
