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Efficient Buildings Collaborative Help Desk

The Help Desk is available Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm CST or by phone appointment.

(866) 614-7542

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Title

Large building benchmarking program

Sections

Data reporting and use

Reported benchmarking data includes:

Building address
Energy use intensity (EUI)
Annual greenhouse gas emissions
The energy performance score that compares the energy use of the building to that of similar properties, where available.

Data will be used to:

Benchmark energy consumption
Compare energy usage
Identify places for energy improvements
Empower property owners to compare the performance of their building to itself, neighboring buildings, and industry standards.

The data may also reveal long-term utility cost savings opportunities to property owners.

Example Building Energy Report Card

What buildings are included?

What is the reporting timeline?

Building owners benchmark their building for the previous calendar year and submit data to the City using the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager by June 1 each year, a date which is consistent with surrounding cities. Data is submitted in three groups. See chart below for details.

Property	Initial Reporting Date
Covered city buildings containing a floor area of 75,000 gross square feet or greater	December 30, 2021
Covered buildings containing a floor area of 100,000 gross square feet or greater	June 1, 2022
Covered buildings containing a floor area of 75,000 gross square feet or greater	June 1, 2023

How to report data

To report your annual data, create an account in Energy Star Portfolio Manager and follow the Efficient Buildings Collaborative’s compliance checklist under “For Building Owners.”

Property owners must enter or upload their utility data by June 1 of every year.

If a property was recently sold, the owner of the building on the reporting deadline is the responsible party.

Training

March Virtual Training

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

9 to 11 a.m.

RSVP here (This session is focused on buildings benchmarking for the first time)

April In-person Training

Monday, April, 17, 2023

Bloomington Public Works

RSVP here

May Virtual Training

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

3 to 5 p.m.

RSVP here

Training Tools

Instructional videos on how to report data are available on the Efficient Buildings Collaborative website under “For Building Owners.”

View the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Quick Start Guide or contact the Efficient Buildings Collaborative help desk for additional guidance.

View your data

Enforcement

The focus of the program is on benchmarking education, and there will be no enforcement for each building's first year of benchmarking. Starting in year two, civil penalties will be an enforcement option. These will be considered after reminders are given. Enforcement details are outlined in the City of Bloomington's City Code. Exemptions can also be found the City of Bloomington's City Code.

Do other cities do this?

Over 30 cities are showing that the building market thrives on information. Total building energy use in cities with benchmarking policies on average drops 1-3 percent annually. In Minnesota, the City of Minneapolis’ commercial benchmarking policy has recorded over 400 buildings since 2013 and recently expanded to include multifamily buildings, while Edina, St. Louis Park, and Saint Paul are currently in year three implementing their policies. See a map of policies across the U.S.

Energy efficiency resources