The Sooner the Better
Happy New Year! I know the year has only just begun and we’re all still winding down from the holiday festivities, but in the world of Energy, Benchmarking doesn’t wait for anyone. Whether you’re still milking that holiday vacation time or back at work, it doesn’t hurt to review your city and state deadlines. Most Benchmark deadlines don’t hit till summer, however, there are a select few programs with due dates as early as March. Here’s a quick breakdown of all the 2022 Benchmark deadlines:
City | 2022 Deadline |
Building Energy & Water Scoring (Fort Collins, CO) | March 1st |
April Deadlines | |
City | 2022 Deadline |
Reno Energy & Water Efficiency Program (Ordinance 7068) | April 1st |
Saint Louis Building Energy Awareness Bill | April 1st |
San Francisco Existing Commercial Buildings Energy Performance | April 1st |
Washington Clean & Affordable Energy Act of 2008 | April 1st |
Washington State Senate Bill 5854 (SB5854) | April 1st |
Portland Commercial Building Energy Reporting (Oregon) | April 22nd |
May Deadlines | |
City | 2022 Deadline |
Cambridge Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance | May 1st |
Des Moines Energy & Water Benchmarking Ordinance | May 1st |
Kansas City Energy Empowerment Ordinance | May 1st |
New York City Local Law 84 (NYC LL84) | May 1st |
Orlando Building Energy & Water Efficiency Strategy | May 1st |
Portland Energy & Water Use Performance Benchmarking | May 1st |
Salt Lake City Elevate Buildings | May 1st |
San Jose Energy & Water Building Performance Ordinance (SJ | May 1st |
Boston Energy Reporting & Disclosure Ordinance | May 15th |
Chula Vista Building Energy Saving Ordinance | May 20th |
June Deadlines | |
City | 2022 Deadline |
Atlanta Commercial Buildings Energy Efficiency Ordinance | June 1st |
Austin Energy Conservation Audit & Disclosure (ECAD) | June 1st |
Boulder Building Performance Efficiency Ordinance | June 1st |
California Assembly Bill 802 (CA AB802) | June 1st |
Chicago Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance | June 1st |
Denver Commercial & Multifamily Building Benchmarking | June 1st |
Los Angeles Energy & Water Efficiency (LA EBEWE) | June 1st |
Minneapolis Commercial Building Rating & Disclosure | June 1st |
Montgomery County Building Energy Benchmarking Law | June 1st |
Pittsburgh Building Benchmarking Ordinance | June 1st |
San Diego Building Energy Benchmark Ordinance | June 1st |
Evanston Building Energy & Water Use Benchmarking Ordinance | June 30th |
Philadelphia Building Energy Benchmarking Ordinance | June 30th |
July Deadlines | |
City | 2022 Deadline |
Berkeley Building Energy Saving Ordinance | July 1st |
Ontario Reporting of Energy Consumption & Water Use | July 1st |
Seattle Council Bill 116731 (CB116731) | July 1st |
Voluntary/TBD | |
City | 2022 Deadline |
Miami Dade Building Efficiency 305 (BE305) | TBD |
Cincinnati Kilowatt Crackdown | Voluntary |
Columbus Energy Challenge | Voluntary |
Houston Green Office Challenge | Voluntary |
New Jersey State Law A3723 | Voluntary |
New Orleans Building Energy Benchmarking | Voluntary |
Sustainable Providence (Providence, RI) | Voluntary |
Energize Saint Paul (Saint Paul, MN) | Voluntary |
If you have a property in any of the cities/states with spring deadlines, it’s important to begin the Benchmark process ASAP. Pre-pandemic, the Benchmark process could take anywhere from 4-7 weeks to complete. That time has increased due to two main factors:
1. Work from home policies: many companies still have WFH policies which can prolong the process of getting the necessary forms completed. This especially impacts property management that leases spaces out to multiple tenants who pay their own utilities.
2. Utility companies: some utility companies have used the past two years of the pandemic trying to update their systems. Things like authorization forms, verifications, and online portals have been slightly altered thus resulting in either long request times and/or the need to submit updated requests to push the data through existing requests.
With that information in mind, the sooner you begin working on your Benchmarks, the higher chance you have of meeting the deadline no matter how soon or late in the year yours is. If you haven’t yet begun your 2022 Benchmark report, our Benchmark team is happy and ready to help. To get started today, head on over to VertPro.com. For returning customers, you will want to log in to your existing VertPro account, review your 2022 dashboard and make any necessary changes/updates (i.e., add/remove properties and update authorization forms). New customers will need to register and set up their portfolios (adding properties and completing necessary authorizations). For any questions or immediate assistance, you can contact our team at (415) 912-1523 or support@vertpro.com.
Fun Fact: ENERGY STAR Certified buildings contribute 35% less greenhouse gas emissions compared to non-ENERGY STAR Certified buildings. – ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR Certification (ESC) - The Little Blue Label
When you go shopping for appliances it’s not uncommon to see a little blue label indicating the product is “ENERGY STAR Certified” and therefore more energy efficient. Now that same little blue label can be applied to buildings via ENERGY STAR Certification (ESC). Benchmarking a property is the steppingstone towards applying for an ESC, but there’s a lot more work involved (i.e., paperwork and site inspections). If qualified, the work involved in the application alone can be enough to deter you from applying. However, the financial benefits of being an ENERGY STAR Certified building alone is hard to beat.
From a financial perspective, being ENERGY STAR Certified can help you save and earn money in the long run. According to ENERGY STAR, ESC buildings use an average of 35% less energy compared to similar non-ESC buildings. That means an ESC office building alone could “cost $0.50 less per square foot to operate” in comparison to non-ESC offices. In conjunction with lower operational costs, ESC buildings also see a higher net operating income and therefore a higher building valuation. This is important should you ever decide to sell your building as “numerous studies demonstrate a sale price premium of 1%-31% among energy-efficient buildings.” Even if you have no plans to sell your building, there are additional financial benefits as ENERGY STAR Certified buildings are noted as having higher occupancy – up to 10% – and rental rates – 3%-16% more. With lower operational costs and increased occupancy and rental numbers, you’re building could be saving and earning more money in the long run by simply being ENERGY STAR Certified.
To view the full list of benefits of being an ENERGY STAR Certified building, I highly recommend checking out ENERGY STAR’s article here. To schedule a meeting to learn how Vert Energy Group can help you apply for the ESC, contact us at 800-585-2690 or email us.
Fun Fact: The construction industry contributes 4.1% - or approximately $790 billion – to the Unites States GDP. – Ain Sham Engineering Journal, Volume 12 Issue 1
Inflation and Your Building
When the pandemic first broke out, many countries closed their borders or took extra measures to ensure safety. We all saw in the news how exchange students had to quickly pack up and return home and we all felt the impact of our online orders now being back ordered and/or delayed. What many of us may not have realized, is the drastic impact these backorders and delays were having on the construction industry. A large portion of the U.S. construction materials (i.e., steel and stone) are imported. Basic supply and demand chains show that low supply and high demand will result in increased pricing. In a survey conducted by the Associated General Contractors (AGC), “bid prices and input costs have increased by 0.5% and 12.8% respectively since the onset of the pandemic.” Whenever you hire a contractor, you get a bid and then sign. The bids are based on the pricing of the materials. With the sudden increase in costs due to COVID-19, many contractors had to use part of their profits to cover the cost of the materials. Andy Choi from Marcum LLP states that “contractors (will need) to evaluate the existing costs and (consider) the possibility of a cost increase when bidding for a project” as the market is still facing shortages, delays, and high-priced materials. The more it costs the contractor to get your materials, the more it will cost you to hire. If you have any upcoming building projects and/or upgrades, Vert Energy Group can help you get bids. Get a free Energy Upgrade consultation with one of our Building Upgrades representatives here or post a project on VertPro.com/Bids.
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend” – Martin Luther King Jr
I Have a Dream…
Monday, January 17th marks the 39th year since legislation officially made the third Monday of January a federal holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr and all his achievements and influence during the Civil Rights movement. Martin Luther King Jr helped America to see that there were ways to discuss civil rights injustices and racism without resorting to violence. One of Martin Luther King Jr’s most notable demonstrations of nonviolent protest was the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955. NobelPrize.org records that over the course of 382 days, Martin Luther King Jr and the African American community boycotted the Montgomery bus system until their demands for the abolition of segregation on buses were met. In the years following the 1955 bus boycott and until his assassination in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr traveled all over to speak on injustices that the African American community faced. During this time, he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech during the march on Washington D.C. in 1963. Between all the monumental work that Martin Luther King Jr did during his time and his inspirational “I Have a Dream” speech reminds us to practice love and compassion in our everyday lives. It reminds us to seek and strive for equality for all and peace no matter our differences. As Martin Luther King Jr said, “it takes empathy, patience, and compassion to overcome anger, hatred, and resentment” – a testament that is applicable not just on the third Monday each January, but to every day.
Danielle’s Corner
New Year’s Resolutions Happy New Year! Time to get those New Year’s resolutions and yearly goals made. I personally find setting goals helps me stick to my resolutions. This year I have three main resolutions: read more, reduce my impact on the environment, and be more energy-efficient. To keep me accountable I’m setting goals for each “category.” Every year I try to up my book read quota so that’s nothing new. I think the more challenging resolutions are to reduce my environmental impact and become energy efficient. I’m apartment hunting and one of the things I’ve added to my “wish list” is a place with Energy Star Certified (ESC) appliances. According to SoCal Gas, washers alone use roughly 25% less energy and 33% less water than normal appliances so that’s about $370 I could be saving on utilities while being energy efficient. It’s a win-win in my book. On the off chance that I can’t find ESC apartments, I’ll be sure to switch out all the lighting that I can for LED options if they’re not already in place. To help lower my environmental impact, I’m planning on having plant-based or vegan meals at least once a week. According to the University of Oxford, you can reduce your carbon footprint from food by 73% just by cutting meat and dairy from your diet and by extension will help lower greenhouse gas emissions. I’m not ready to go 100% vegan just yet, but I’m more than willing to give up meat once or twice a week. It may not be a huge change, but it will be a good start. I’d love to know if you have any energy efficiency tips and/or good vegan recipes! Whatever your resolutions and goals are this years, I hope you’re able to reach them! You got this!
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