—Annual Energy Benchmarking Reports due this April 1st!
With the annual energy benchmarking reporting deadline fast approaching, owners and managers of commercial and multifamily apartment and condo buildings should take advantage of free workshops and other support now. All buildings 20,000 square feet or larger must have their 2012 energy performance reported by April 1, 2013.
For buildings larger than 50,000 square feet that complied last year, most of the work is done. It is important to review and update existing benchmarking data before the upcoming April 1 deadline. Doing so is the owner’s responsibility to ensure an accurate and on-time report of 2012 energy performance.
This is the first year that buildings in the 20,000 – 50,000 square feet range need to benchmark and report.
Free workshops:
- February 6, February 20, and March 13 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the University of Washington campus. Visit www.seattle.gov/energybenchmarking to register.
- Drop-in help: Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Avenue, 18th floor.
- Helpline: Email EnergyBenchmarking@seattle.gov or call (206) 727-8484 (Mon. – Fri. 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.).
- How to Guide and Compliance Checklists: Available at www.seattle.gov/energybenchmarking.
For those that would rather hire a pro, the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council, a non-profit energy efficiency trade association, maintains a directory of benchmarking providers at www.neec.net/seattle-benchmarking-providers.
For more details about the benchmarking ordinance, visit www.seattle.gov/energybenchmarking.
Submitted by Nicole Ballinger, Outreach Advisor, Energy Benchmarking and Reporting Program, Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment