New Report Reveals Findings from City Energy Benchmarking Law
The Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) recently released the 2011/2012 Seattle Building Energy Benchmarking Analysis report and infographic on building energy use. This report and infographic reveals that Seattle building owners are poised to save tens of millions of dollars on energy annually by improving their building’s energy efficiency.
OSE’s report summarizes the benchmarking results of more than 2,600 private-sector buildings representing nearly 228 million square feet, including offices, hotels, apartment buildings, retail stores, religious and educational institutions, and more. Building owners provided energy use information to the City as required under the City of Seattle’s Building Energy Benchmarking and Reporting Ordinance.
With the publication of this report, Seattle building owners can see for the first time how energy use in their building stacks up against other buildings in the city and nation. The report will also help buyers, tenants, and lenders see how the energy use of buildings they are considering buying, renting or financing compares to other buildings. Owner of buildings 20,000 square feet or larger are required by law to disclose their building’s energy performance if a tenant, buyer, lender or other qualified party requests it of them.
OSE’s report found that if all the highest energy users improved to the average level of efficiency for their building type, owners would save a combined $55 million on utility bills each year and lower annual energy use by an average of 25 percent across all buildings. If these same buildings improved to match the energy efficiency levels of the best performing buildings in their class, utility bill savings would surpass $90 million each year and annual energy use would decline by an average of 42 percent.
To date about 93 percent of commercial and multifamily buildings 20,000 or larger have reported 2012 data to the City—the highest compliance rate in the nation for benchmarking laws. Seattle is one of nine U.S. cities with benchmarking ordinances.
For more information, contact:
Nicole Ballinger, Energy Benchmarking Outreach Advisor
Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment
(206) 233-7184
Nicole.Ballinger@seattle.gov