Oakland Shines Helping Businesses Benchmark

Understanding the energy performance of your building should be as easy to understand as the fuel economy, or MPG (miles per gallon), of automobiles.  The only challenge is, energy use in your building can become difficult to capture in a single number because weather, occupant behavior, and its physical or operational characteristics can vary so widely over time. Benchmarking accounts for all of these variables to calculate what is effectively your building's MPG rating.

Beginning July 1, 2012, owners of nonresidential buildings 50,000 square feet and larger will be required to disclose their buildings' energy performance, per Assembly Bill 1103, using energy benchmarking.  To help you comply with these new state regulations, Oakland Shines offers to benchmark your building at no cost.  This simple process normally takes no more than 1 to 2 hours.  Once enrolled, PG&E's Automated Benchmarking Service updates energy data each month in Portfolio Manager automatically.

Not only is it possible to securely measure and monitor the energy performance of your building online in EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, but you will also discover where your building stands compared to similar buildings.  Using this information, it will be easier to study energy performance over time, set an energy baseline, develop energy and GHG (greenhouse gas) reduction goals, and inform energy efficiency measures or projects that improve your bottom line.

Ready to become a leader in energy performance? Call Tim Bankroff, Program Assistant, at 510-981-2030.