by Brianna Crandall — May 11, 2015—Two days after the Atlanta City Council unanimously passed a building energy benchmarking and disclosure ordinance, the Portland, Oregon, City Council on April 22 unanimously adopted its own benchmarking ordinance, making Atlanta and Portland the 12th and 13th U.S. cities, respectively, to adopt such policies, according to trade association NEMA. The ordinances are intended to save energy and create local jobs by making energy use transparent for large commercial and municipal buildings.
National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) President and CEO Kevin J. Cosgriff commented, “NEMA and its members support Atlanta’s and Portland’s ordinances because they will increase transparency and give building owners and occupants information about the true cost of operating their buildings.”
Cosgriff added, “Few of us would buy a car without first knowing its miles-per-gallon rating, and many of us consult nutrition labels on food products before making a choice. But we frequently don’t do that in detail with buildings, and in many markets it is impossible to compare the energy performance of two different buildings. These ordinances fill that information gap, allowing prospective buyers and renters to understand the full and more detailed cost of operating the buildings in which they work, live, learn, or play.”
The Portland Energy Performance Reporting Policy requires commercial buildings 20,000 square feet and larger to track energy performance, calculate energy use, and report to the city. The goal is to reduce energy costs for building owners and carbon emissions for the city — among Mayor Charlie Hales’ goals to keep Portland living up to its green reputation.
Of the city’s 5,000 commercial buildings — which are spending $335 million annually on energy — only 81 are ENERGY STAR certified, according to the City. Fewer than 20% of commercial buildings in Portland are affected by the policy, yet the policy affects 80% of Portland’s commercial square footage.
Buildings that track energy use are said to save an average of 2.4% on energy costs per year. If all 1,000 buildings covered by the policy saved 2.4%, that effort would save them millions of dollars each year, and reduce the city’s carbon emissions considerably, points out the City. In Washington, D.C., a similar policy resulted in a 9% reduction in energy use over three years, 2010-13.
The policy will kick in April 2016 for the largest commercial buildings, 50,000 and more square feet, and April 2017 for buildings 20,000 to 50,000 square feet. The state and Energy Trust of Oregon provide rebates and tax credits for energy-efficient upgrades to lighting and heating/ventilation/air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, so “green” improvements should not be cost-prohibitive, says the City. In response to building owner concerns, those affected by the policy will have a year to improve energy scores before they become readily available.
See also “Atlanta benchmarking ordinance to help reduce commercial building energy use 20% by 2030” on FMLink.
