Marking the beginning of a new era of transparency around energy use in buildings, New York City has publicly posted 2011 energy benchmarking results for 2,065 large commercial properties, which together cover more than 530 million square feet.
This is the first time that any U.S. city, state, or county has disclosed private-sector building energy data from a mandatory benchmarking policy.
The 2011 results are posted on the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan website, along with a letter giving a more detailed explanation of the output scores. The posting of benchmarking results will now be an annual occurrence for all large buildings in New York City. Results for large residential buildings will be posted for the first time in the fall of 2013, along with those for commercial and municipal buildings.
Energy use in buildings is responsible for roughly 75% of New York City’s emissions. The benchmarking, or measuring, and disclosure of energy use in buildings is the cornerstone of the city’s Greener, Greater Buildings Plan -- the most comprehensive policy in the nation addressing energy use in existing buildings -- and it is key to achieving the ambitious PlaNYC goal of reducing citywide carbon emissions 30 percent by 2030.
The benchmarking data can be used to assess where cost-effective building improvements can be made and to allow the market to find those opportunities. And since New York City’s benchmarking requirement is annual, the city and the market will be able to reward buildings that improve their performance year on year.
The benchmarking data also enabled the city to analyze for the first time how building energy use varies with building age, location, size, fuel mix, and an assortment of other factors.
Benchmarking data from 2010, released last month, showed that energy-use intensity varies dramatically among the same types of buildings, with the worst-performing buildings using three to five times the amount of energy per square foot as the best. Consequently, there is potential to save tremendous amounts of energy by improving the efficiency of the poor performers.
Under New York’s benchmarking ordinance, building owners annually enter energy and water use data and other pertinent information about their buildings, such as square footage and hours of operation, into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) free online benchmarking tool, ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.
From this information, Portfolio Manager calculates the benchmarking results, including the energy and water use per square foot, the carbon emissions, and for some types of buildings, a 1-to-100 ENERGY STAR rating comparing the building’s relative energy performance with other similar buildings, normalized for building occupancy factors. The city’s posting includes these outputs.
However, even if all the input data were correct, the benchmarking results still require interpretation. There are many reasons why a building might have a high energy intensity. Sometimes that could be due to inefficient operations or outmoded equipment, but it also could be due to a high occupant density or longer hours of operation. High energy intensity does not always mean energy waste. +
Related Stories
Sustainability | Feb 7, 2024
9 states pledge to accelerate transition to clean residential buildings
States from coast to coast have signed a joint agreement to accelerate the transition to pollution-free residential buildings by significantly expanding heat pump sales to meet heating, cooling, and water heating demand in coming years.
Sustainability | Dec 22, 2023
WSP unveils scenario-planning online game
WSP has released a scenario-planning online game to help organizations achieve sustainable development goals while expanding awareness about climate change.
Sustainability | Nov 1, 2023
Researchers create building air leakage detection system using a camera in real time
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a system that uses a camera to detect air leakage from buildings in real time.
Hotel Facilities | Sep 15, 2023
The next phase of sustainability in luxury hotels
The luxury hotel market has seen an increase in green-minded guests looking for opportunities to support businesses that are conscientious of the environment.
Metals | Sep 11, 2023
Best practices guide for air leakage testing for metal building systems released
The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) released a new guidebook, Metal Building Systems - Best Practices to Comply with Whole-Building Air Leakage Testing Requirements.
Regulations | Aug 23, 2023
Gas industry drops legal challenge to heat pump requirement in Washington building code
Gas and construction industry groups recently moved to dismiss a lawsuit they had filed to block new Washington state building codes that require heat pumps in new residential and commercial construction. The lawsuit contended that the codes harm the industry groups’ business, interfere with consumer energy choice, and don’t comply with federal law.
Green | Aug 7, 2023
Rooftop photovoltaic panels credited with propelling solar energy output to record high
Solar provided a record-high 7.3% of U.S. electrical generation in May, “driven in large part by growth in ‘estimated’ small-scale (e.g., rooftop) solar PV whose output increased by 25.6% and accounted for nearly a third (31.9%) of total solar production,” according to a report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Resiliency | Aug 7, 2023
Creative ways cities are seeking to beat urban heat gain
As temperatures in many areas hit record highs this summer, cities around the world are turning to creative solutions to cope with the heat. Here are several creative ways cities are seeking to beat urban heat gain.
Government Buildings | Aug 7, 2023
Nearly $1 billion earmarked for energy efficiency upgrades to federal buildings
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) recently announced plans to use $975 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding for energy efficiency and clean energy upgrades to federal buildings across the country. The investment will impact about 40 million sf, or about 20% of GSA’s federal buildings portfolio.
Codes and Standards | Aug 7, 2023
Cambridge, Mass., requires net-zero emissions for some large buildings by 2035
The City of Cambridge, Mass., recently mandated that all non-residential buildings—including existing structures—larger than 100,000 sf meet a net-zero emissions requirement by 2035.