EPA has made this step easier by providing a national energy performance rating system, currently available for office buildings, K-12 schools, grocery stores, hotels, and hospitals. The rating system, found in Portfolio Manager, allows you to compare your performance against similar facilities. In the case of cement, wet corn milling and auto assembly plants the industry specific Energy Performance Indicators (EPIs) serve as national energy performance rating systems to allow for comparison against similar facilities.

Benchmarking can be done in variety of ways. Facility or organizational performance may be benchmarked to:

  • Past performance — A comparison of current versus historical performance.
  • Industry average — Based on an established performance metric, such as the recognized average performance of a peer group.
  • Best in class — Benchmarking against the best in the industry and not the average.
  • Best Practices — A qualitative comparison against certain, established practices considered to be the best in the industry.

The key steps in benchmarking include:

  • Determine the level of benchmarking ( for example — equipment, process line, facility or organizational).
  • Develop metrics.
  • Conduct comparisons.
  • Track performance over time.

Suggestions

Benchmarking with Portfolio Manager

ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager, lets you compare the energy performance of your facilities to similar buildings nationwide. Portfolio Manager also normalizes for weather and several other important building and operational characteristics, allowing comparisons to be made on a level playing field.

By inputting energy and building information, this tool provides a benchmark score on a scale of 1-100. Buildings with a score of 75 or over are eligible for the ENERGY STAR Label.

Many of the most effective energy management programs rate the performance of their entire building portfolio. This type of comparison allows energy managers to identify inefficient buildings for upgrades.

EPA recognizes buildings with superior performance. Buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR use about 40 percent less energy than average buildings, without compromising comfort or services.

Benchmarks are currently available for office buildings, K-12 schools, grocery stores, hospitals, and hotels. Additional buildings space benchmarks are planned for the future. Check the Portfolio Manager section of the ENERGY STAR web site for recent updates.

Search the registry of ENERGY STAR Labeled Buildings and Plants to learn more.

Back to Top