FAQs
What is ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager?
Do I have to get a Scoping Study?
What is the Climate Leader Award?
What is the Most Valuable Tenant Award?
Can’t my utility automatically benchmark my building for me?
Who will have access to my building's data?
What is ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager?
ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager tool is a nationwide rating system that calculates the “miles per gallon” of your building’s energy use. Endorsed through the BOMA Energy Efficiency Program (BEEP) as a valuable building management resource, ENERGY STAR accounts for weather, building location, use, and operating characteristics - giving an impartial measure of building efficiency. Properties that achieve a score of 75 or higher on the 100-point scale can qualify for the Energy Star Label. www.energystar.gov/benchmark
What is a Scoping Study?
A Scoping Study is a technical assessment of a building’s energy systems to identify the potential for improving building performance relative to: equipment reliability, occupant comfort, and energy efficiency. Opportunities identified typically involve adjusting sequences of operations, procedures, optimization of controls, and equipment scheduling, and can often be funded through operating budgets. Contestants will participate in a short building walk-through and interview to identify recommendations, and receive a specific scope-of-work document to give to their preferred service provider in support of a building tune-up. This service has a market value of approximately $2,000 to $3,000 per building. Contact Jack Davis to arrnage a scoping study for your building. Jdavis at nwalliane dot org.
Do I have to get a Scoping Study?
No, the Scoping Study is an optional benefit of participating in the competition, but is encouraged as a valuable exercise in identifying low-cost opportunities to reduce energy consumption.
What is the Climate Leader Award?
The Climate Leader Award is a special recognition of a building that is actively tracking and managing its carbon footprint. Buildings that choose to pursue this award will utilize the City of Seattle’s Carbon Footprint Calculator to assess their carbon emissions, and have demonstrated leadership in reducing their carbon impact. Buildings throughout the Puget Sound that are participating in the Kilowatt Crackdown are eligible. Details will be announced after the close of the entry-period on April 30, 2010.
What is the Most Valuable Tenant Award?
The Most Valuable Tenant Award is a special recognition of the tenant that has shown clear leadership and eagerness in partnering with their building team to reduce energy use. Buildings throughout the Puget Sound that are participating in the Kilowatt Crackdown can nominate their tenants for the award. Details will be announced after the close of the entry-period on April 30, 2010.
How does my participation in the Kilowatt Crackdown relate to recent legislation on mandatory energy benchmarking?
The State of Washington SB-5854, which took effect July 26, 2009, requires the release of energy benchmarking information, upon request, to any prospective buyer, lessee, or lender of a building, using the U.S. EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager rating system. Commercial office buildings over 50,000 square feet must be able to meet this requirement as of January 1, 2011, and buildings over 10,000 square feet affected by January 1, 2012. The City of Seattle has proposed similar policies, expanding the buildings types affected and adding that ENERGY STAR scores be reported to the City.
The Kilowatt Crackdown is a voluntary program, but participation in the competition would help building owners and managers in meeting these requirements, since ENERGY STAR benchmarking is central to both. Participants in the competition will have access to technical resources and expertise in benchmarking to assist with setting up their ENERGY STAR profiles. Additionally, by participating in the contest, buildings will be eligible for free certification if they qualify for the ENERGY STAR label, and be eligible for the free scoping study.
Can't my utility automatically benchmark my building for me?
As part of SB-5854 described above, most utilities in the State of Washington are developing systems to be able to feed building data automatically into the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager system. When completed, this should simplify the monthly updating of energy consumption required to maintain a current energy performance rating.
However, building staff will most likely still be required to set up the initial ENERGY STAR profile of their property, and input space type and occupancy data according to each building’s characteristics. In addition, any major changes in the number of occupants, space-types, or other variables utilized by the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool should be updated periodically to give an accurate reflection of the operating conditions of the property.
Who will have access to my building's data?
Utility billing and ENERGY STAR data will remain private - no individual building scores, ratings, or information will be publicly released through participation in the contest. Competition administrators, the BetterBricks engineering team, and the competition jury will have access to building data as part of evaluating participant progress, judging, and ENERGY STAR certifications. Additionally, ENERGY STAR data will be disclosed to BOMA International as part of their efforts to track progress of its members nationwide, but no individual building data will be released. For concerns about confidentiality and data privacy - please contact Jack Davis at jdavis@nwalliance.org.
