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What's Your Green Building Story?
Bi-monthly spotlights on positive impacts USGBC-MGC members are making in our community
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Our buildings have a significant role to play in efforts to curb climate change. The energy used by buildings in the United States is responsible for almost 40% of our national greenhouse gas emissions (according to US Energy Information Administration). Locally, we see an even bigger impact. In 2015, residential and commercial buildings accounted for 62% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the City of St. Louis (2015 GHG Inventory).
By improving their energy efficiency, building owners and managers can reduce their environmental impacts while simultaneously lowering their utility bills. Energy benchmarking is a widely recognized building management best practice. It is the process of tracking your building's energy use and comparing your performance to similar buildings and to past performance.
This work is possible because of the support and hard work of our members, sponsors and partners! Thank you!
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Why are energy benchmarking and energy efficiency important to you?
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The Missouri Historical Society aims to preserve St. Louis history for future generations. Energy conservation is an essential part of preserving history and our community."
- Angela A. Moore, Missouri Historical Society
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"Energy benchmarking helps us measure how the sustainable design of our buildings creates real economic impact for our lower-income residents."
- Cady Seabaugh, McCormack Baron Salazar
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"Thanks to the City's benchmarking of its own buildings, we have achieved ENERGY STAR certifications for City Hall, Carnahan Courthouse, and 1520 Market. Reducing energy use is good for the environment, saves the City on utility costs, and helps create a more sustainable community."
- Frank Oswald, City of St. Louis Building Commissioner
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"Benchmarking is incredibly important because it frames the entire approach to energy conservation."
- Annie Smith, Ross & Baruzzini
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"Public benchmarking data supplies information about building characteristics that is crucial for utilities to better understand their customers"
- Marco Tipton, Ameren Missouri
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Benchmarking motivates! It reveals good first-steps and shows how much you are saving. Direction and reward!
- Aaron Michels, Energy Resources Group
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"Energy Benchmarking is a critical step that Parkway has taken to understand portfolio wide energy use. By actively measuring and analyzing our energy use we are better prepared to take steps to reduce energy use which results in financial, environmental, and societal benefits."
- Erik Lueders, Parkway School District
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It's an old adage that "you can't manage what you don't measure". That's what benchmarking is all about. First, it compares your building performance to a peer group, which should motivate a good 70% of building owners to do better (and the other 30% to keep up the good work!). Second, it now sets the baseline of current consumption that is so necessary for proper measurement and verification - which is critical to convince management that they were smart to invest in efficiency measures in the first instance and move them to continue investing and take next steps. And, there will always be cost effective "next steps". Benchmarking is the necessary first step to engendering a virtuous spiral of successes. Let's Go Benchmarking!"
- Tim Michels, Energy Resources Group
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What is Benchmarking?
Benchmarking is the process of tracking your building's energy and/or water use and comparing your performance to similar buildings and to past performance.
Benchmarking is the first step in determining how to conserve resources, reduce operating costs, and reduce environmental impacts.
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ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
Any building can use
ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, a free, online tool administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to benchmark their energy, water and waste performance. Thousands of facility owners and managers use the tool to assess how their properties are performing, adopt an energy management strategy, identify ways to save energy, cut costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, earn recognition, and communicate their energy-saving efforts to the public.
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City of St. Louis Building Energy Awareness Ordinance
In February 2017,
Mayor Francis Slay signed the Building Energy Awareness Ordinance, which require municipal and private buildings over 50,000 square feet to track and report annual energy and water use. Private buildings are first required to comply by April 1, 2018, with annual compliance required each April 1 thereafter.
There are some exemptions to the ordinance, such as buildings with low/no occupancy, manufacturing facilities, financial duress, and state and federal buildings
Buildings that are not in compliance with the ordinance by their respective deadlines will not be eligible for issuance of new residential or commercial occupancy permits. Fines also apply.
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All buildings benefit from energy and water benchmarking, and all buildings can receive support and recognition from the Better Buildings Through Benchmarking Campaign for implementing this building management best practice.
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U.S. Green Building Council - Missouri Gateway Chapter
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