Benchmarking Buildings 
Benchmarking is the first step to making your buildings more energy efficient. Benchmarking helps building owners, managers, facility staff and tenants better understand how to manage energy use and save money. This is especially important in Berkeley, where the operations of commercial buildings comprise about one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions.It will also help you stay ahead of the curve in complying with the upcoming energy benchmarking requirements of California Assembly Bill 1103 which will soon require certain building owners to disclose building energy performance. Benchmarking enables you to:
- Track how much energy your buildings uses and compare with similar buildings
- Identify high-performing buildings and those which could benefit from improvements
- Set energy/cost saving priorities and monitor progress
The East Bay Environmental Network (EBEN) recently hosted the First Annual Benchmarking Awards Program to honor energy efficiency leaders among Berkeley’s commercial and public buildings. Helen Meyer of Meyer Sound was the keynote speaker and Assemblymember Nancy Skinner presented the awards at the Zaentz Media Center (Fantasy Studios) in Berkeley. The awards were given on behalf of the City of Berkeley and are part of the Climate Action Plan which set bold goals for reducing energy waste and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
The following 26 entities were recognized for their dedication to energy efficiency and environmental stewardship:
| Alta Bates Summit Medical Center |
Berkwood Hedge School |
Netivot Shalom |
| Ashby Stage |
Civic Center, City of Berkeley |
Safeway |
| Bancroft Hotel |
David Brower Center |
Trumer Brauerei |
| Bayer Healthcare |
Design Community & Environment |
University California at Berkeley |
| Berkeley Chamber of Commerce |
Ed Roberts Campus |
Wareham Development |
| Berkeley City College |
LJ Kruse Plumbing |
2150 Shattuck |
| Berkeley Food and Housing Project |
Lawrence Berkeley Labs |
2530 San Pablo Avenue |
| Berkeley Unified School District |
Metro Lighting |
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| Berkeley Repertory Theater |
Meyer Sound |
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Get Started! Join these local leaders and benchmark your building with ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager, an easy-to-use online tool. Here are the steps:
1. Register your building with ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager
2. Sign-up with PG&E's Automatic Benchmarking Service (ABS)
For more information or questions, contact greenbuilding@cityofberkeley.info.
Resources:
Return to Office of Energy and Sustainable Development website