by Jbs092208g3 — September 24, 2008—A California law that will take effect in January 2009 will require all non-residential buildings to disclose annual energy use, according to a report from Environmental Building News. EBN says that owners of commercial buildings must disclose their energy usage and Energy Star rating to potential buyers, leasers, and financiers beginning in 2010.
California selected the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star Portfolio Manager database as the repository for the energy use data. A joint state/utilities working group is creating systems to transfer the data directly from the utility companies to the EPA.
Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) Automated Energy Benchmarking Service is available online.
Further, EBN reports that Washington, DC, is requiring its city government as well as private building owners to benchmark their buildings using the Energy Star Portfolio Manager tool and to submit performance data to the city, which will then publish it for the entire public to view. The requirement is outlined in Title V of the “Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008.” (.pdf file).
