Want to lower your energy bills but don’t know where to begin? Start with “benchmarking” your building. Benchmarking—a free and easy way to track a building’s energy performance—gives owners and managers a better sense of how their buildings are using (and wasting) energy, and also helps identify opportunities to increase building efficiency and lower energy bills.
The City has launched a new Building Energy Benchmarking and Reporting Program requiring Seattle’s building owners to take that first step toward greater energy savings and benchmark their buildings. The program is already underway for commercial and non-residential buildings larger than 50,000 square feet, and is now focusing on buildings larger than 10,000 square feet or having five or more residential units.
Come mid-November, the owners of over 8,000 buildings will be notified of their requirement to benchmark and report by April 1, 2012. The City is working to ensure that all these buildings are benchmarked on an annual basis, and that building energy use information is provided to potential tenants, buyers and lenders during real estate transactions. That way, building owners, businesses and residents alike can make more informed and cost-conscious decisions when upgrading, buying or renting property. So, in the end, everyone saves.
The City has partnered with all local utilities, which will now automatically provide owners with the energy consumption information for their entire building in a convenient and easy to use format. In fact, it has never been easier for an owner to get the information they need to know how their building is actually performing! In addition, the City has developed a series of educational materials—including hands-on training workshops, webinars and a step-by-step “How To” guide—to help owners with benchmarking and provide them information on utility energy-saving programs, rebates and other financial incentives to save energy.
There’s never been a better time to take control of energy bills. So what are you waiting for? Benchmark your building today.
For more information, visit www.seattle.gov/dpd/energybenchmarking, e-mail energybenchmarking@seattle.gov, or call (206) 727-8484.
Three options to fit your busy schedule.
Upcoming Workshops
Energy Benchmarking Using ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager: Learn the essential elements of successful energy management!
All sessions are 8:00 a.m. – noon at the University of Washington in Seattle. Each session is 4 hours of hands-on instruction at a computer station. Register now!
November 7th
http://esbworkshops.eventbrite.com/
November 28th
http://esbworkshops2.eventbrite.com/
December 15th
http://esbworkshop3.eventbrite.com/