by Shane Henson — August 1, 2011—Building Energy Transparency, a report released by the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT), offers what IMT calls the first-ever national review of building energy rating and disclosure policies in the United States.
The policies, recently enacted into law by five cities and two states—New York City; San Francisco; Seattle; Washington, DC; Austin, Texas; and California and Washington—require large commercial building owners to measure their properties’ energy consumption and reveal that data. “Rating and disclosure” refers to the practice of evaluating the relative energy efficiency of a building and making this information known to consumers.
Building Energy Transparency identifies best practices that help jurisdictions overcome common challenges in implementation. For example, utilities’ energy data can be difficult to access, and many cities lack a complete inventory of building stock. IMT’s report will be an essential road-map for jurisdictions seeking to adopt rating and disclosure policies.
IMT staff are reportedly the leading experts on these policies in the United States. They have worked closely with government officials around the country as they develop and implement rating and disclosure requirements. In November 2010, IMT convened a national roundtable of senior policymakers and building energy efficiency experts to discuss implementation. The report grew out of this roundtable, which was the first event of its kind in the United States.
In addition to the report, IMT worked with real estate services firm CB Richard Ellis on a compact user’s guide to the requirements, the Guide to State and Local Energy Performance Regulations.
