What is Benchmarking ordinance?
A benchmarking ordinance is a local or state law that requires owners of covered buildings, often including the government's own buildings, to measure and report their annual energy use, and sometimes water use, usually through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. The goal is to make building performance visible and comparable so owners and policymakers can act on it.
What it is
Benchmarking compares a building's energy use with its own history and with similar buildings. A benchmarking ordinance makes that comparison mandatory for buildings above a size threshold and often makes the results public.
Most US ordinances use ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, which calculates energy use intensity and, for eligible property types, a score on a scale of 1 to 100. Some also collect water use.
Benchmarking is often the first step. Several cities that began with benchmarking later adopted building performance standards that set targets.
Who it applies to
Owners of larger commercial and multifamily buildings in cities and states with an ordinance, and frequently the city, county or state for its own facilities. Thresholds and deadlines differ by place.
How it is measured
A benchmarking submission typically covers a full calendar year.
- Whole building energy use by fuel
- Water use, where required
- Gross floor area and property type
- Data verification, where the ordinance requires it
How Aqueduct helps
Aqueduct produces one export per building from the same data that runs operations.
- Metered energy and water per building for Portfolio Manager
- aQ EnergySmart weather-normalized trends throughout the year
- One calendar of deadlines and data across a portfolio
- aQ Assurance exports for the owner or consultant to submit