About Us
Our Mission
To promote electronic access to whole-building energy consumption data that enables building owners and managers to advance energy-efficiency, economic growth and energy cost savings.
Our Principles
1. Building owners and managers should have electronic access to whole-building energy consumption data
The owners and managers of many commercial and multifamily buildings do not have reasonable and convenient electronic access to energy consumption data for their entire building. Improving the accessibility of this data supports energy-efficient building operations, consumer energy cost-savings, local economic growth, energy benchmarking and participation in voluntary green building recognition programs.
2. The utility sector should endeavor to improve whole-building energy consumption data accessibility for building owners and managers
Utility companies, regulators and government policymakers should acknowledge the need for building owners and managers to access whole-building energy consumption data to support energy-efficient building operations by supporting a data accessibility policy that includes:
- Taking all reasonable measures to facilitate convenient, electronic access to whole-building energy consumption data for building owners and managers, including aggregated building data that preserves the confidentiality of individual utility customers
- Use of EPA ENERGY STAR automated benchmarking services to streamline data accessibility
- Adopting methodologies to credit utilities with the energy consumption savings resulting from data accessibility and benchmarking programs
3. Data accessibility practices should provide reasonable confidentiality protections for tenants
We support energy consumption data accessibility practices that provide reasonable confidentiality protections for tenants while allowing building owners and managers to accomplish energy efficiency goals.
4. Energy Star “Portfolio Manager” benchmarking is a real estate energy efficiency best practice
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager benchmarking tool enables real estate professionals to track building energy performance over time, proactively manage energy consumption and prioritize cost-effective energy efficiency investments. The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Green Building Rating System, a leading green building rating system, references Energy Star benchmarking to document energy performance for the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance rating platform. Providing building owners and managers with electronic access to whole-building energy consumption data will help increase voluntary participation in Energy Star benchmarking and LEED.
Our Strategy
Promote electronic access to whole-building energy consumption data by:
- Directly engaging with local utilities and state regulatory commissions to facilitate greater data accessibility
- Advancing federal, state and local policies and programs that promote data accessibility
- Educating federal agencies, administration officials, members of Congress, state regulatory commissioners and utilities on data accessibility best practices
- Partnering with public policy groups and associations in the utility sector to further our mission