Energy Benchmarking
One of the smartest decisions you can make as a building owner or property manager is to find ways to increase energy efficiency and reduce operating costs. Energy benchmarking presents a perfect opportunity to identify areas for improvement and, in turn, increase you competitiveness and raise your building’s value.
You may have received an Estimated Energy Footprint in the mail, which gave you an idea of how your building compares to similar buildings in Southern California for energy usage. To learn more about your Energy Footprint, please read the paragraph entitled “Estimated Energy Footprint”, below. If you have not received a footprint, but want to know more about Energy Benchmarking, please continue to read from the paragraph entitled “What is Energy Benchmarking?”.
+ Estimated Energy Footprint
The Estimated Energy Footprint is based on the estimated annual electricity energy use for your building divided by the estimated square footage. Electricity use, building type, square footage, and the "typical building" located in SCE's service territory are based upon estimates derived in whole or in part from the following sources: SCE's billing and commercial energy efficiency program participation records; the California Energy Commission’s California Commercial End Use Survey; and, publicly available records of the County Assessor’s Office.
A more comprehensive national benchmarking score is available to you by visiting the ENERGY STAR® website and signing up for their energy benchmarking tools. To learn more about this comprehensive score, see below.
+ What is Energy Benchmarking?
- A tool that enables you to use the energy information of your building the same way you use a Miles Per Gallon (MPG) rating to assess a car’s operating performance
- A tool that provides the ability to conduct an “apple to apple” comparison of a building’s energy performance
- The first step to assessing your building’s energy performance and measuring ongoing progress
- A key step to understanding and reducing energy consumption and the building’s carbon footprint
If you would like to learn more, SCE offers free classes on Energy Benchmarking at two locations: 1) Energy Education Center-Tulare and 2) Energy Education Center–Irwindale. Classes are offered monthly. Click here to sign up.
+ How can my business benefit from Energy Benchmarking?
- Compares your building’s energy use to similar buildings nationally
- Helps determine if a building is using too much energy
- Establishes a continuous improvement energy management process for your building(s)
- Assists with the planning for that energy management process: setting goals, targets and timelines
The more control you have over your energy costs, the better it will be for your bottom line.
+ Energy Benchmarking Tools
- ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager - This free interactive energy management tool helps you determine your building’s total energy benchmarking score and allows you to track and assess your energy consumption in a secure online environment. Portfolio Manager also helps you compare energy use with similar buildings at a national level, and set goals, targets and timelines to become more efficient.
- Automated Benchmarking Service - This free service from SCE is available on the ENERGY STAR® website and allows you to seamlessly upload energy data into your ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager account. This data is necessary to generate an ENERGY STAR® rating and other building metrics. You’ll also receive automatic energy usage updates each month.
+ How to Get Started
- Click here to create an ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager account
- Add your facility, identify building spaces and add meters
- Sign up for Automated Benchmarking Services, allowing SCE to add energy data to your account
- Log back into your ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager account the next day to see data and results
Sign up for ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager and benchmark your building's energy use today! To learn more about Energy Benchmarking or if you need assistance, contact your account representative, call (800) 736-4777 or click here.
©2012 Southern California Edison. All rights reserved. Program funding provided by California utility customers and administered by Southern California Edison under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. Terms and conditions may apply. Program subject to change without notice.
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