Building Energy Disclosure and Benchmarking
Building energy disclosure and benchmarking describe laws and regulations that make information about a building's energy usage available to the public and involve comparing a building's energy performance to that of similar buildings.[1] This allows building owners and tenants to easily compare the energy efficiency of different buildings and make informed decisions about where to live or work.[2]
Building energy benchmarking involves comparing a building's energy performance to the performance of other buildings with similar sizes and functions.[3] This can be done using tools like the Energy Star Portfolio Manager, which allows building owners and managers to track and compare their building's energy use over time.[4][5] By identifying areas for improvement, building energy benchmarking can help building owners and managers identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption and save money on energy costs.
Local governments are increasingly adopting their own laws and regulations requiring certain types of buildings to conform to rules on their energy usage. These practices aim to help building owners and managers save money on energy costs, reduce carbon emissions, and create more sustainable and comfortable living and working spaces.[1]
History of Building Energy Disclosure Laws
| Law/ Regulation | Location | Year Enacted |
|---|---|---|
| Title 24 | California | 1978 [6] |
| Local Law 84 | New York City | 2009 [7] |
| Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) | Boston | 2013 [8] |
| Energy Benchmarking | Washington D.C. | 2013 [9] |
| Local Law 133 | New York City | 2016 [10] |
| BERDO 2.0 | Boston | 2021 [8] |
Building Energy Use Benchmarking
Building energy use benchmarking is a way to assess a building's energy use and efficiency. Building managers will typically input data about their building into an online tool. The tool will compare that building's energy consumption to that of similar buildings (in size and function), in order to identify potential energy savings.[5]
This requires a lot of data to be collected on the building's energy consumption and its physical characteristics. This often gets used to calculate a score for the building as a numerical measurement of energy use and efficiency.
The goal is to provide building owners and tenants with information about a building's energy performance, and to encourage them to invest in energy efficiency improvements. Some localities have laws that require certain buildings to achieve a minimum score. These laws are often combined with energy disclosure laws. Building energy benchmarking provides a standardized way of evaluating and comparing the information disclosed by different buildings.[5]
State and Local Building Energy Disclosure and Benchmarking Laws
Boston's Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance
The Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) was created by the city of Boston to require certain building owners in the city to publicly disclose information about the building's energy and water usage. The ordinance, which was first enacted in 2013, is part of the city's efforts to promote energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.[11]
Under BERDO, building owners are required to submit annual reports to the city that include information such as a building's energy and water consumption and energy efficiency ratings. This information is used by the city to create a public database that allows building owners, tenants, and other stakeholders to compare a building's energy performance to similar buildings in the area.[12]
BERDO applies to a wide range of buildings in Boston, including commercial, residential, and government buildings. All buildings over 50,000 square feet are required to comply. Building owners who fail to comply with the ordinance may be subject to fines and other penalties.[13]
BERDO 2.0 was passed by the Boston City Council in 2021. This expanded the requirements on building owners. This amendment requires all of the affected buildings to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.[8]
New York City Local Law 84
New York City Local Law 84, also known as the Benchmarking Law, requires certain building owners in New York City to disclose information about the building's energy and water use to the city. The law was enacted in 2009 as part of the city's efforts to promote energy efficiency.[14]
Under the law, building owners are required to submit annual reports to the city that include information such as a building's energy and water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency ratings. This information is then put into a public database.[10] The law applies to all buildings in the city that are over 50,000 square feet. Building owners who fail to comply with the law may be subject to fines and other penalties.[14]
In 2016, Local Law 133 expanded upon this by covering all NYC buildings larger than 25,000 square feet.[10]
California Energy Commission's Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards
The Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards is part of the California energy code and is overseen by the California Energy Commission. As it is part of the building code, all buildings in the state of California are required to adhere to it.[15] This is part of a larger California Building Code, which covers everything from energy usage to accessibility to fire safety.[16]
These buildings are required to meet certain minimum energy performance standards for heating, cooling, lighting, and other building systems. California has a variety of climates so there are slightly different requirements depending on the specific California Climate Zone. The goal is to ensure that buildings in the state are as energy-efficient as possible.[16]
Washington D.C. Energy Benchmarking
The Washington D.C. Energy Benchmarking law was passed in 2013. The law requires building owners in Washington D.C. to disclose information about a building's energy and water use to the city on an annual basis. The information disclosed under the law is used to calculate a building's Energy Star score, which is a measure of the building's energy efficiency.[9]
This law only applies to private buildings in the city that are larger than 25,000 square feet.[17] The law requires building owners to disclose information about a building's energy and water use, as well as its physical characteristics, such as its size and type of heating and cooling systems.[9]
Criticisms
There are concerns about the effectiveness of the laws, and the burden that they place on building owners.
Some criticize that they are not effective in promoting energy efficiency. They argue that the information disclosed under these laws is not always accurate or reliable, and that it is not always used in a way that leads to energy efficiency improvements. For example, the information may not be easily accessible or understandable to building owners or tenants. In Boston, for example, most of the buildings have not complied with disclosing their greenhouse gas emissions as required under BERDO 2.0.[18]
Some also criticize that these laws place a burden on building owners, without providing sufficient benefits in return. It takes a lot of time and money to collect all of the required data in order to comply with some cities' building energy laws. Laws such as Boston's BERDO 2.0 also place an additional burden on building owners as it requires their buildings to be on track to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Building Energy Disclosure". American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ↑ Turntide. "Sustainability Is Key Feature as Tenants Look to Owners for Greener Buildings". Commercial Observer. Observer Media. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ↑ "Energy benchmarking: the basics". Government of Canada. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ↑ "Overview Webinar of EPA's ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager®: A Tool to Measure and Track Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions". United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Building Energy Use Benchmarking". Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ↑ "Title 24 FAQ". www.pge.com. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
- ↑ "GBEE - Greener, Greater Buildings Plan - LL84: Benchmarking - About LL84". www.nyc.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "BERDO 2.0: Decarbonizing Existing Large Buildings in Boston". A Better City. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Everything You Need To Know About Benchmarking in Washington D.C." NANTUM OS. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Sisodiya, Naveen (2017-09-19). "Local Law 87 Nyc (LL87) - Energy Audits & Retro-Commissioning". https://www.thecotocongroup.com/. Retrieved 2023-06-16. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ Brady, Katherine G. "Boston Building Energy Reporting and Reduction Requirements: BERDO 2.0". Moriarty Troyer & Malloy LLC. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
- ↑ "BERDO". Greenovate Boston. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
- ↑ "Boston Passes Ambitious Ordinance Targeting Zero Emissions for Large Buildings by 2050". Holland & Knight. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Benchmarking and Energy Efficiency Rating". City of New York. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
- ↑ "Title 24 FAQ & Glossary". Regency Lighting. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Building Energy Efficiency Standards - Title 24". California Energy Commission. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
- ↑ "Energy Benchmarking | ddoe". doee.dc.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
- ↑ "Barely any Boston buildings have reported their greenhouse gas emissions, despite new rule". www.boston.com. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
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