BUILDING PERFORMANCE PARTNERSHIP PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK

Transcription

1 BUILDING PERFORMANCE PARTNERSHIP PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK Last Updated April 2012

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Overview 1 Section 1 ENERGY STAR s Portfolio Manager (For Commercial Buildings) 2 Sharing Access to Portfolio Manager Data with USGBC 3 Portfolio Manager Account Set-Up 4 Portfolio Manager Data Entry Walk-Through 5 Reading Utility Bills 6 EPA s Automated Benchmarking System 12 Section 2 WegoWise (Multi-Family Residential Buildings) 13 Additional Resources 15 A: LEED for Existing Buildings and BPP 15 B: Benchmarking Building Performance 18 C: Resource Management & Efficiency Programs Services & Incentives 21 D: BPP Phases in Detail 24 USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook i

3 OVERVIEW Building Performance Partnership Overview U.S. Green Building Council s Building Performance Partnership (BPP) was established to create a comprehensive data collection and analysis infrastructure that will receive data from all LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified projects, including both commercial and residential. BPP is a step beyond LEED to improve building performance through active data collection. The initiative engages commercial, institutional, and residential LEED building owners and managers in a collaborative effort to increase the green building community s emphasis on tracking and reviewing building performance data. BPP will be conducted in phases Phase One Phase One, launched in April 2010, focuses on the collection of monthly energy and water performance data. During Phase One, LEED-certified commercial projects share their energy and water performance data with USGBC through ENERGY STAR s Portfolio Manager tool. LEED-certified multi-family residential projects are able to participate in Phase One through WegoWise, a web based utility tracking tool. Phase Two BPP s second phase will incorporate automated tracking and reporting infrastructures, visual displays, and the complete list of BPP performance metrics, of which energy and water usage will be just two. In Phase Two, only energy and water use will be captured through automated tracking and reporting; other metrics will be included in BPP but not using automated systems. Expanding beyond measuring total energy and water use at the level utilities provide data for billing purposes will allow USGBC to collect more types of data on a more frequent basis. This will include sub-meter data as well as data from operational areas not covered by utilities such as waste management, alternative transportation use, and indoor air quality. USGBC will work with Phase One partners to transition and will accept new participants into Phase Two in To see the phases in greater detail, visit the last section of this document. BPP-related questions can be directed to LEEDperformance@usgbc.org for commercial and institutional projects and LEEDHomesPerformance@usgbc.org for LEED for Homes projects. USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 1

4 SECTION 1 ENERGY STAR s Portfolio Manager (Commercial) Overview ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that provides individuals, businesses, and institutions with products, programs, and tools that aid in improving energy efficiency. ENERGY STAR s Portfolio Manager is an online energy management tool that collects building energy and water use data. It allows building managers to track energy and water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions across one or more buildings, monitor performance over time, and identify opportunities for energy, water, and cost savings. It can also benchmark a building s energy performance to produce an ENERGY STAR score and help institutions prioritize their energy efficiency efforts, identify buildings in need of improvement, and report their successes in meeting energy performance and carbon reduction goals. Portfolio Manager provides a secure environment for organizations to share facility-specific performance information. It includes features and functions that allow users to: Track and assess energy and water consumption for a single building, groups of buildings, or an entire building portfolio Compare a building s energy performance to similar buildings nationwide Calculate a building s greenhouse gas emissions Track and compare energy and water cost saving strategies for a specific project or for an entire building portfolio Report performance and receive an ENERGY STAR rating or label reflecting building energy performance Group buildings and view average ratings across a group Control access to building data Building types eligible for energy the ENERGY STAR performance rating include: Offices Banks and other financial institutions Courthouses Data centers K-12 Schools Hospitals (acute care and children s) Hotels Retail stores Supermarkets Residence halls and dormitories Warehouses Medical offices Wastewater facilities Houses of worship USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 2

5 The building types that are eligible for ENERGY STAR ratings are limited; USGBC understands that a certain proportion of LEED-certified buildings do not fit into one of the eligible categories. However, Portfolio Manager can be used effectively to track energy and water performance and share energy and water use data with USGBC even for buildings that are ineligible for an ENERGY STAR rating. Buildings that are not eligible for an ENERGY STAR rating can participate in BPP. The first step toward tracking building energy and water performance is to create a Portfolio Manager account. A Portfolio Manager account can be used to track data for a single building or for an entire portfolio of buildings. To create an account, please visit A Stepby-Step Guide to Benchmarking Using EPA s Portfolio Manager at benchmarking_training/benchmarking.html. If you already have a Portfolio Manager account, please follow the steps directly below to share your Portfolio Manager data with USGBC. Sharing Access to Portfolio Manager Data with USGBC (For users with an existing Portfolio Manager account) Step-by-step instructions for this process with screenshots are available on page 24 of this handbook. To share facility data, complete the following steps: Log into Portfolio Manager and go to Home > My Portfolio. Click on the Share Facilities link under Work with Facilities. STEP 1: There are two options for sharing with our account: (1) Enter USGBC - LEED Performance Reporting in the field to the right of Enter Portfolio Manager Username and click Add and Modify, or (2) under Select a Portfolio Manager Master Account, select USGBC - LEED Performance Reporting and click Add and Modify. STEP 2: Select the access rights being granted to the USGBC master account. Project teams must provide USGBC with Read Only access rights, at a minimum. Click Yes to the question Can this user provide access to the shared facilities with other users? STEP 3: Specify the group that directly corresponds with your LEED registered project (e.g. EBOM BPP) Click Continue. STEP 4: Select the LEED project facility from which you wish to share data from the list of facilities in your account and click Continue. STEP 5: Review the confirmation page and click Save. You will be notified by when USGBC accepts the data you shared into its master account. Note: Project titles in Portfolio Manager should be the same as the LEED registered project name, when possible. If possible, please change the name of your project in Portfolio Manager to match the building s LEED project name. In order for USGBC to recognize a project and match it with the certification record in its internal systems, projects must include their LEED project identification number in the notes section of each property s General Facility Information page in Portfolio Manager. USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 3

6 Portfolio Manager Account Set-Up (For participants without an existing Portfolio Manager account) Navigate to and click on Register. An instructional video on how to set up your Portfolio Manager account is also available at Complete all required fields and click Save Profile. Share Facility Data with USGBC s Master Account. Click on the Share Facilities link under Work with Facilities. STEP 1: There are two options for sharing with the USGBC master account: 1. Enter USGBC - LEED Performance Reporting in the field to the right of Enter Portfolio Manager Username and click Add and Modify. 2. Under Select a Portfolio Manager Master Account, select USGBC - LEED Performance Reporting and click Add and Modify. STEP 2: Select the access rights being granted to the USGBC master account. Project teams must provide USGBC with Read Only access rights, at a minimum. Click Yes to the question Can this user provide access to the shared facilities with other users? Specify the rating system that directly corresponds with your LEED certified project e.g. EBOM - BPP. USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 4

7 STEP 3: Select the LEED project facility whose data you wish to share from the list of facilities in your account and click Continue. STEP 4: Review the confirmation page and click Save. Portfolio Manager Data Entry Walk-Through STEP 1: On the homepage, select the facility for which you wish to enter building data by clicking on its name. STEP 2: This screen allows you to enter and edit information about spaces in your facility and Energy and Water Meters. Under Energy Meters, go to Add Meter. STEP 3: Enter information about the meter such as name, energy type, units, whether the meter is active and whether you want to add this to the total energy use. After completing this information, click Save. STEP 4: Select the number of months for which you wish to enter energy data. Meter entries for up to four years can be entered. Click Continue. USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 5

8 STEP 5: Enter energy use and cost for all months selected. The end date in any row cannot be greater than the current date. Click Save. Note: The data entry process for water is very similar to that for energy as shown above. Reading Utility Bills A utility bill is an invoice provided by a public utility detailing purchase of a natural resource or public service. Electricity, natural gas, water, and sewage are good examples of natural resources and public services. Although utility bill format often differs between utility service providers, all utility bills provide the same basic information: amount of resource consumption over a certain period of time as well as the associated charges. With careful review of the utility bills and comparison of subsequent months, building owners and managers can identify problems, errors, unusual usage, and the malfunction of certain equipment. Resource consumption and costs can be reduced by early detection of irregularities in usage. Electric and gas bills usually contain: The total electricity consumed during the billing period. The standard unit of consumption used is Kilowatt hours (kwh). The total natural gas consumed during the billing period. The standard unit of consumption used is Therms. Alternate units include British Thermal Units (BTU), Hundred Cubic Feet (CCF), Dekatherm (Dkt), and Million British Thermal Units (MBTU/MMBTU). 1 Therm 100,000 British Thermal Units 1 Therm 100 CCF 1 Therm 0.1 Dekatherm 1 Therm 0.1 Million British Thermal Units 1 Therm 29.3 kwh British thermal unit A British thermal unit (BTU) is defined as the amount of energy required to increase the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit, at normal atmospheric pressure. Energy consumption is expressed in Btu to allow for consumption comparisons among fuels that are measured in different units. USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 6

9 Kilowatt hour A Kilowatt hour (kwh) is a unit of work or energy, measured as 1 kilowatt (1,000 watts) of power expended for 1 hour. One kwh is equivalent to 3,412 Btu. Utilities measure electricity consumption in kilowatt-hours, usually abbreviated as kwh on utility bills. A set cost is usually specified for each kwh up to a certain amount of electricity use, the baseline usage. For consumption beyond the baseline usage, the cost per kwh is usually higher. Energy efficiency can lead to cost savings for a building or space in two ways: by reducing total energy consumption and costs; and by reducing peak demand and thereby the amount of electricity purchased at peak rates. Therm A Therm is a measurement of the amount of heat energy in natural gas, equal to 100,000 BTUs. Since meters measure volume and not energy content, a therm factor is used by gas companies to convert the volume of gas used to its heat equivalent, and thus calculate the actual energy use. The therm factor is usually denominated in therms per cubic feet. The average heat value of natural gas is 1,000 BTU per cubic foot. Natural gas is sold to utility customers in therms, or units of 100 cubic feet representing approximately 100,000 BTU of heating power. Natural gas is delivered to customers at a very low pressure, usually less than 0.5 psi (pounds per square inch, a unit for measuring pressure; 1 psi is equivalent to approximately 6,895 pascals). Pressure is often expressed in Water Columns (WC), where a 28-inch WC = 1 psi. Converting Energy Units Portfolio Manager accepts multiple units for energy use. Utility companies often use MCF to denote one thousand cubic feet and Mlbs to denote one thousand pounds. In Portfolio Manager, kcf represents one thousand cubic feet and MCF represents one million cubic feet; klbs represents one thousand pounds and Mlbs represents one million pounds. When entering data into Portfolio Manager for BPP purposes, please make sure to use the correct unit of measurement to ensure that the data are accurate. If the unit in the utility bill is different from the unit used in Portfolio Manager, please make sure to convert the units and enter the converted value. For further information please refer to the FAQ section in Portfolio Manager. Entering Electricity and Gas Data from Utility Bills into Portfolio Manager Image 1: Sample utility bill Electric Service for 12/12/ /10/2008 Detailed Billing Information Service Meter # Season Category Peak KWh Usage Unit Charge Amount WINTER Power factor Rate KVARH General $ Large General Service - Network KW ON PK $1, OFF PK $0.00 Maximum Demand Billing Period 1034 $1, KWH ON PK $19, OFF PK $9, Total KWh Consumption $29, Total Electric Charges $31, Gas Service for 12/12/ /10/2008 Detailed Billing Information Meter # Season Therms Used Unit Charge Amount WINTER Customer Charge $ Current Gas Charges 40, $37, Total Gas Charges $37, USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 7

10 Entering Electricity Data STEP 1: Select the energy type that the facility is using and its associated unit. Portfolio Manager provides users with a variety of energy type options, including electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, district steam, wood, and propane. In the sample utility bill (Image 1), the energy type is electricity and is denoted by kwh. STEP 2: After you save the information for this meter, enter the start date of the billing cycle. In the sample bill, the start date is 12/12/2007. STEP 3: Enter the actual value on the bill (i.e. the energy use and the cost). Entering the cost information (i.e. the Total Electric Charges ) from the bill is optional, but encouraged for BPP partners. USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 8

11 Entering Gas Data The procedure for entering gas usage information is the same as described above for electricity. STEP 1: Select Natural Gas under Energy Type and Therms under Units. Click save. STEP 2: Enter the Start date for the billing. STEP 3: Enter the End date and the Energy use and Cost. Please note that most utility providers provide a detailed and graphic description of their utility bills online. Their websites also frequently include an explanation of billing terms and list frequently asked questions. Reviewing utility bills and catching abnormalities and unusual usage can help reduce energy costs. Once the data has been entered, you can begin to track and report progress to BPP. The Multi Facility Meter Update in Portfolio Manager allows you to update meter data for many facilities at one time. In order to access Multi Facility Meter Update, log into Portfolio Manager and select the Update Multiple Meters link found on the Portfolio View page. Refer to the Multi Facility Meter Update in Portfolio Manager Help for more information on using this tool to update meter data. USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 9

12 Terms and Definitions in Utility Bills The sample electric and gas bill images below are for reference only. All utility bills are formatted differently and vary in appearance. Sample Electric Bill Source: View a sample Electric Bill. The Official Website of the Attorney General of Massachusetts. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. July 14th Utility+Billing&L3=Electric+Bills&sid=Cago&b=terminalcontent&f=energy_utilities_sample_electric_bill&csid=Cago Supplier Services include charges from a power supplier or aggregator for generating the electricity. Supplier charges vary between different power supply companies. Basic Service Fixed Customers may choose a competitive power supplier, the company that generates their electricity. Most consumers have not selected a supplier and are listed as a Basic Service Fixed customer. This rate provides the most stable electric bills rather than a variable rate, which fluctuates monthly based on the current market price for electricity. Generation Charge covers the amount of electricity used the energy that comes from power plants and other facilities that produce the electricity transported facilities via distribution substations. The generation charge is set through contracts between power generators and distribution companies, as well as the wholesale electricity market, which is under Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) oversight. Degree Days are units used for measuring heating and cooling requirements. Daily degree days are calculated by subtracting the average daily temperature from 65ºF. Heating degree days result if temperatures are less than 65ºF; cooling degree days if more than 65ºF. Minimum Charge which is also called Customer Charge, covers a local gas company s fixed cost of providing service, regardless of the amount of gas you use. USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 10

13 Delivery Adjustment Charge is a charge for maintaining gas delivery pipelines and fluctuates depending on maintenance costs incurred during the current billing period. Gas Used covers the total amount used during the billing period, measured in hundreds of cubic feet of gas (CCF). CCF (100 cubic feet) The cubic foot is an Imperial and US customary (non-metric) unit of volume, used in the United States and the United Kingdom. It is defined as the volume of a cube with sides of one foot ( m) in length. The volume of gas is measured in CCF by your gas meter. Source: View a sample Gas Bill. The Official Website of the Attorney General of Massachusetts. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. July 14th Utility+Billing&L3=Gas+Bills&sid=Cago&b=terminalcontent&f=energy_utilities_sample_gas_bill&csid=Cago. Gas Delivery Charge which is also called Distribution Charge, covers the cost to transport natural gas locally to homes and businesses and includes pipeline maintenance, safety services, meter reading and billing costs. Fuel Adjustment Charge covers changes in a gas utility s rate from the base cost that it bills customers. Meter Readings include 1) the number of days in the current billing period, 2) the gas meter reading at the beginning and end of that period. Transmission Charge is the cost of delivering electricity via high-voltage power lines (wires) and associated facilities that transmit the electricity from power plants to distribution substations. Additional Resources The following resources can provide further information on utility bills. 1. Utility Bills: Learn More at This website provides useful information on building operations, utility bills, benchmarking, and best practices. 2. New Jersey Division of the Rate Counsel The New Jersey Department of the Public Advocate provides useful information about utility bills. See Understanding your electric bill and Understanding your gas bill at publicadvocate/public/help/. 3. Rockville, MD Guide to the City of Rockville s Utility Bill For more information on the Portfolio Manager Tool please visit the Portfolio Manager homepage or Help and FAQ sections: homepage. USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 11

14 EPA s Automated Benchmarking System Entering energy consumption and cost data into Portfolio Manager can be time consuming. It is more efficient to import billing data directly from a utility using an electronic data file. Many utilities make billing data available to customers or billing-management service providers in an electronic format. EPA offers an Automated Benchmarking System to make the tracking and assessment of building energy performance easier. EPA allows energy information service providers to utilize Portfolio Manager directly within their products and services. A list of providers can be found on the ENERGY STAR website. Automated benchmarking service providers vary in type (i.e., bill pay services, system controls providers, etc.) and capacity. Many of these service providers products are compatible with the software and tools that are already installed and in use in many existing buildings. Weather-normalized energy intensity and emissions inventories are also available for buildings that are not eligible for an ENERGY STAR rating. This information can help users track energy and environmental performance of all buildings in their portfolio. Automated benchmarking can save time and improve users ability to continuously manage and analyze performance data. Additional Resources PG & E Benchmarking through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Automated Benchmarking Information on Automates Benchmarking Systems ENERGY STAR Automated Benchmarking for Utilities benchmarking USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 12

15 Section 2 WegoWise (Multi-Family Residential) Wegowise is an online tool that helps monitor and benchmark the performance of multi-family buildings. Multi-family projects certified under the LEED for Homes rating system, including low and mid-rise projects, are eligible for one free year of WegoPro. Follow the steps below to get started: Getting started with WegoWise 1. To begin, go to and sign up your eligable building for a free year of WegoPro. 2. Sign up for your free account by filling out the Get Started form. 3. After completing the form and agreeing to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, you will be sent an activation from accounts@wegowise.com. USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 13

16 4. You ll then be taken to the login page where you can sign in using the user name and password that you created. 5. After you have logged in, you will be prompted to enter a Development and then a Building. You can follow the articles at for more details on setting these up. You can also find help on setting the utility accounts up on this same page. As you input the Building Information, be sure to note your certification accomplishments! Select your level of LEED certification. If you additionally earned Energy Star or another regional or national certifications, make note of this. USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 14

17 Additional Resources A: LEED for Existing Buildings and BPP LEED for Existing Buildings Overview At the time of LEED s inception, there were pockets of interest in and commitment to green building but no industry consensus on the definition of a sustainable building. LEED s initial goal was to create parameters for what constitutes green design and construction and recognize leaders who pursued these goals. For years, LEED focused only on sustainability in the design and construction processes of buildings, gaining market recognition and growing into a strong presence in the design and development industries. But disparities often exist between how buildings are designed to operate and how they actually perform. Even green buildings experience this gap between predicted and actual performance. Numerous factors can explain the incongruity flaws with energy modeling, inadequate commissioning, inaccurate assumptions regarding occupant behavior, and lack of coordination during the transition from construction to operations but the challenge remains. LEED for Existing Buildings (EB) was the first LEED rating system to address the actual operating performance of occupied buildings. Particularly since the release of LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance in 2008, buildings are required to demonstrate achievement of quantitative performance targets in order to earn LEED EB certification. LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance encourages owners and operators of existing buildings to implement sustainable practices and reduce the environmental impacts of their buildings over their functional life cycles. Specifically, the rating system addresses building exterior and site maintenance programs, water and energy use, environmentally preferred products and practices for cleaning and alterations, sustainable purchasing policies, waste stream management, and ongoing indoor environmental quality. Targeted at single buildings, whether owner-occupied, multitenant, or in campus settings, LEED EB provides owners and operators of existing buildings an entry point into the LEED certification process. Synergies with Building Performance Partnership LEED EB provides a framework for measuring the ongoing environmental performance of operating buildings and determining what a green building is over the long term. Because LEED EB looks beyond a building s initial design, construction, and transition to occupancy, and assesses operations and maintenance over a building s lifecycle, the program provides scope for measuring ongoing building performance and defining sustainable operations. LEED EB, in fact, inspired the development of BPP in its early stages and will continue to heavily influence its focus and direction. LEED EB helps building owners and managers measure operational performance on a consistent scale with the goal of maximizing efficiency, giving LEED-EB-certified buildings a sort of head start when it comes to collecting, organizing, and analyzing their performance data. Energy & Atmosphere (EA) Prerequisite 2: Minimum Energy Efficiency Performance, which requires buildings to demonstrate operating energy performance at least 19% better than typical buildings of similar type, necessitates that buildings seeking LEED EB certification have access to energy meter data and a Portfolio Manager account. This readies them USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 15

18 for BPP participation as they already have the two things required to join the program. (Please note that an ENERGY STAR rating is not required for BPP participation; only an active Portfolio Manager account is necessary.) Similarly, LEED EB projects that pursue Water Efficiency (WE) Credit 1: Water Performance Measurement are excellently prepared for ongoing data collection and analysis through BPP because the credit requires permanent installation of water meters, including, in some cases, submeters for irrigation, cooling tower, indoor plumbing, process, and domestic hot water use. Projects registered with or certified by a LEED EB rating system now represent 16% of all LEED projects, but there is a body of almost 5,000 buildings that have achieved certification under a Green Building Design & Construction rating system: LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations (NC), LEED for Core & Shell, or LEED for Schools. BPP will allow USGBC and the wider green building and real estate communities to get a grasp on the ongoing operating performance of these LEED-certified buildings. BPP will give owners and managers of buildings that have been certified under one of LEED s design and construction rating systems an opportunity to take a look at their buildings operating performance from a LEED-EB-like perspective. Access and attention to this information will enable improvements in the operations and performance of these buildings. For buildings that have already achieved LEED EB certification, BPP will be a valuable tool for maintaining sustainable operations after certification performance periods have ended. For example, the requirement of LEED EB EA Prerequisite 2 to demonstrate a certain level of operating energy performance also requires buildings to track energy usage. BPP then picks up where LEED EB certification leaves off by providing a platform for projects to continuously track energy usage and monitor operating energy performance even after certification is achieved. BPP will also fill the gap between initial LEED EB certification and recertification, which most projects choose to pursue three, four, or five years after initial certification. (Recertification may occur as frequently as once per year but at minimum every fifth year. LEED EB certifications that are not renewed within five years lapse and projects must pay for and undergo the full initial certification process again.) Participating in BPP tracking and sharing performance data with USGBC and receiving analysis and benchmark results in performance reports from USGBC will help prepare LEED-certified buildings for LEED EB recertification, whether for the first or the fifth time. BPP will complement LEED EB project team goals that set the stage for recertification such as continued data collection, ongoing commissioning, documentation of operational changes, and tracking receipts from purchases. In this way, LEED EB and BPP complement each other in supporting continuous operating efficiency and tracking of performance data. BPP and LEED EB also share a common connection with existing building efficiency strategies such as commissioning, energy monitoring, and other operational management strategies. Monitoring energy performance involves understanding a building s energy consumption profile, identifying how energy is used, and tracking energy consumption data in order to identify patterns. Organizing energy consumption data and monitoring performance over time should be accompanied by preventive maintenance practices, such as retro-commissioning and upkeep of building automation systems. Studies conducted at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory suggest that commissioning and improved operations could save 20% of the energy used by existing buildings 1. USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 16 1 Chen, Allan. New Commercial Buildings Energy Efficiency Program Launched. Berkeley Lab. Posted 24 August

19 Commissioning involves developing a building operations plan that identifies current operating requirements, conducting tests to determine whether the building and its fundamental systems are operating in accordance with the plan, and identifying any necessary changes or repairs. Improving operations can reduce capital costs by extending the lifetime of building equipment and reduce maintenance costs by optimizing efficiency of existing building systems. Once building management staff understands a building s energy profile, strategies for energy efficiency can be customized accordingly. Preventing or addressing equipment problems early on reduces the frequency of contractor callbacks. Commissioning optimizes energy efficiency and water efficiency by ensuring that systems are operating as intended, thereby reducing the environmental impacts associated with energy and water use. Properly executed commissioning can substantially reduce costs for maintenance, repairs, and resource consumption, and higher indoor environmental quality can enhance occupants productivity. Building automation systems (BAS) monitor and control major building systems, including heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting. Having a preventive maintenance program in place ensures that these components are tested and repaired or replaced according to manufacturers recommended intervals. BAS help regulate the energy consumption of building operating systems but can increase building efficiency only if operations staff is properly trained in their use. If staff overrides BAS settings, the system can actually do more harm than good. If used as intended, data a BAS produces can inform decisions regarding changes in building operations and energy-saving investments. This data can also easily be shared with USGBC to be tracked via BPP. Building managers using BPP to monitor or further analyze BAS data will be able to identify inconsistencies and areas where commissioning is needed, leading to operational improvements. As the green building movement shifts its focus to emphasize ongoing sustainable operations in addition to sustainable design and construction, lifecycle sustainability is the new goal. The greenest buildings will start with a design process that considers sustainability at its core; be built with the environment in mind at every stage of construction; and be operated and maintained to achieve high levels of resource efficiency, waste reduction and diversion, occupant health and comfort, and sustainable transportation and purchasing. LEED EB was the original manifestation of this more complete vision of lifecycle building sustainability, and BPP provides a crucial part of the equation: the framework for progress. Buildings will be able to use BPP to continuously track and improve their environmental performance. Periodic LEED EB recertification, be it every two years, three years, or five years, will be another important part of the equation, allowing top-performing buildings to earn recognition for their ongoing operating sustainability. BPP recognizes the need for greater data tracking and management and works hand-in-hand with LEED EB to carry buildings through their lifetimes as sustainably as possible. USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 17

20 B: Benchmarking Building Performance Measuring resource use is the foundation for improving building performance. Data tracking and benchmarking can help building owners and operators significantly reduce buildings energy, waste, and water footprints. But tracking can improve building performance only if the data collected is analyzed properly. In order to manage resource consumption, building operators need not only accurate and complete usage data but also effective ways of analyzing and comparing that data. Benchmarking enables two important analytical practices: assessing performance over time and comparing with peers. Taking stock of building performance on a regular basis, whether annually, quarterly, or monthly, allows building managers to track progress and reestablish performance goals. A benchmark also provides a target to work toward that is independent of a building s own historical performance. Comparing a building against peer buildings is more valuable than simply looking at a building s data in isolation. Such comparison gives needed context to the data, providing a sense of how other buildings of the same size, occupancy, and location are operating. It can also allow building managers to learn from their own past successes as well as from others best practices. Peer comparisons and benchmarks provide a more complete and accurate way to measure a building s true performance. EPA s Portfolio Manager allows commercial building owners and operators to track energy and water use data. Portfolio Manager receives a building s monthly utility use data and captures whole-building resource use statistics; it isn t able to capture data from submeters or single-family homes. The tool also provides energy benchmarking, but does not yet have a water benchmarking tool. In fact, no whole-building water use benchmark yet exists for commercial buildings. Efforts to collect commercial building water use data have not resulted in development of a whole-building water metric or benchmarking system. Indoor plumbing fixture targets and baselines for commercial buildings, however, currently exist in both LEED and federal building code. The LEED commercial rating systems require calculation of an indoor plumbing water use baseline. It covers faucets and associated fittings, showerheads, toilets, and urinals, but is limited to this small set of basic plumbing fixtures; specialized and less common fixtures are not covered by the LEED indoor plumbing water use baseline. Further, many buildings consume a significant proportion of their water in systems aside from indoor plumbing, meaning that large areas of water use are not captured by these baselines. On the residential side, single-family homes can use Earth Aid to track their energy and water use data. This online tool has a crude comparison system for energy and water use, but does not yet offer sophisticated benchmarking based on a large peer group. U.S. Department of Energy s Home Energy Saver Professional modeling software, launched in 2009, supports an assessment and scoring tool designed to reduce residential energy consumption. Earth Advantage Institute s Energy Performance Score (EPS) shows homeowners where they rank in energy use on a regional and national scale. Neither Home Energy Saver s scoring tool nor EPS is quite a full benchmarking system, but they are the most advanced energy performance rating systems currently available for homes. Though more comprehensive research has been completed on residential water use than on commercial building water use, a water benchmarking system for homes has not yet been developed. Unlike for commercial buildings, broad-based federal government surveys have gathered per capita water use data for residential buildings. Regional water use studies contribute to this body of information as well. A baseline for USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 18

21 single family homes was established by the 1999 AquaCraft residential end use study 2 before water efficiency initiatives took hold. This data is still not particularly robust and is more anecdotal, giving a sense of average water use and providing a general snapshot without enough detail for true benchmarking. In terms of residential landscape water use, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency s WaterSense program has developed a tool to help landscape designers, builders, and irrigation professionals calculate a water budget for landscaping in new single family homes by location (in order to account for local climate). But the WaterSense Water Budget Tool addresses only design calculations, not actual usage data, and captures only outdoor water consumption. The lack of water performance benchmarks for commercial and residential buildings is an important missing link in the building performance arena. Water use management and reduction are crucial if buildings are to operate more sustainably. Energy and water consumption are much more intertwined than they appear to be on the surface. In a municipality, the largest energy user is often the water treatment plant and the largest water user is often the power plant. Currently, about eight percent of U.S. energy demand goes to treating, pumping, and heating water 3. To quantify it in everyday terms, a faucet running for five minutes uses about as much energy as a 60-watt bulb running for 14 hours 4. In partnership with other organizations, USGBC aims to fill the gap in the area of water benchmarks. Using data collected through BPP, USGBC plans to help create robust indoor and outdoor irrigation water use benchmarking tools for both residential and commercial buildings. USGBC s BPP database will serve as a natural platform for developing water metrics. The rationale for separating indoor and outdoor water use for benchmarking purposes is that indoor water use should be comparable across the country while outdoor water use should vary greatly based on climate. Further, irrigation is actually the largest determining factor in single family home water usage levels. Outdoor water use often accounts for around 70% of total residential water use, meaning that reductions in indoor water use could be easily offset by increases in outdoor water use. This is of greater concern as in-ground irrigation systems, which increase outdoor water use significantly, become more prevalent. If a benchmark is to capture increased indoor fixture and appliance water efficiency, it must separate indoor and outdoor water use benchmarking. This approach would require buildings to incur the cost of installing an additional meter for outdoor water use, but the benefits of irrigation submetering are notable. If outdoor water consumption is measured separately, a building can more easily identify the underlying cause of an unexplained increase in water use. Gathering separate data will reduce the risk of mistaking a leaky toilet for an increase in irrigation system water use or vice versa. LEED does not currently require certified projects to install separate meters for outdoor water use, but LEED for Homes does award one point to projects that install an irrigation water submeter in addition to a whole-home water use meter, and the next version of LEED for Homes will require any home larger than 1,000 square feet that has a permanent, in-ground irrigation system to install an irrigation submeter. Likewise, LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance Water Efficiency Credit 1 rewards commercial LEED projects that meter irrigation system water use. Buildings that pursue these optional credits and participate in BPP will be supporting the creation of effective and accurate water use benchmarks by supplying USGBC with separate indoor and outdoor water use data. 2 Aquacraft, Inc., and American Water Works Association Research Foundation Residential Water Use Summary. www. aquacraft.com/publications/resident.htm 3 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water: 4 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Benefits of Water Efficiency. of_water_efficiency.html USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 19

22 In creating indoor/whole-building water use benchmarks, defining different categories of buildings according to size, occupancy rate, building use type, operating hours, climate zone, and presence of cooling tower(s), kitchen facilities, laboratory space, and other systems will be necessary to accurately compare water consumption of one building to another. Boilers, coolers, chillers, industrial processes, water collection systems (stormwater, graywater), irrigation systems, laundry equipment, swimming pools, spas, and ornamental water features will also have to be considered. With separate indoor and outdoor water use benchmarks, whether to include green roof spray system water use, used for both irrigation and thermal conditioning on green roofs, in indoor or outdoor water use calculations will have to be decided based on the unique circumstances of each individual building. Creating an accurate benchmark will require comprehensive water use data for each of these subsystems. LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance Water Efficiency Credit 1 rewards commercial LEED projects that meter water use of subsystems including irrigation, cooling towers, domestic hot water, and other process water uses such as humidification systems, dishwashers, clothes washers, and pools. Subsystem water metering in buildings pinpoints changes and increases in use, allowing operations staff to be more effective at monitoring, managing, and reducing water usage. The data produced by subsystem water meters in LEED-certified projects, if shared with USGBC, will contribute to the development of the most robust water benchmarks to date and help the green building industry realize the ultimate goal of water savings. USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 20

23 C: Resource Management & Efficiency Programs Services and Incentives Most states provide energy efficiency services and programs that assist consumers in managing and reducing their energy usage. Many of these programs offer cash rebates or other incentives to buildings that reduce their overall energy use, shift use to times of lower electricity demand, or install on-site renewable energy. Programs vary greatly from state to state: some address electricity consumption but not natural gas consumption whereas others reward lighting efficiency but not renewable energy. Tremendous variation also exists within states as most programs are administered through local utilities. In some states, uniform incentives and programs are available statewide, but in many, each utility runs its own programs in its service territory. Because of these variations, summarizing the programs available in every state and offered by every local utility is beyond the scope of this handbook. The easiest way to find out about energy management services and efficiency programs and incentives in any area is to look on the DSIRE database at This resource organizes information about state and local utility energy-management programs and incentives in one convenient, easily searchable location on the web. Information is available on federal incentives, utility-based programs, statewide programs, and residential incentives available in each state. DSIRE also provides a telephone number for each state, an excellent source of more information. Finding the appropriate contact within a state can be challenging, so utilizing DSIRE to find the correct contact number can be helpful in gaining access to information on incentives and other kinds of support for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other environmental efforts. Calling a building s local utility is another good way to find out about available programs and incentives. Below, we provide an overview of the types of energy management and efficiency programs and services that are commonly available. Grant, loan, and rebate programs are extremely common, particularly utility-based rebate programs for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and reducing peak energy load. Again, the best way to find out which are available in a particular area is to search the DSIRE database, but the descriptions below will give BPP participants a basic understanding of the resources that can support their environmental and efficiency goals. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy A sound approach to responsible energy management usually involves addressing energy efficiency as a first course of action, before pursuing renewable energy projects. Energy efficiency measures are the most costeffective way to reduce energy usage and the associated negative environmental impacts. Shifting to cleaner sources of energy can further reduce the environmental footprint of a building s energy use, but this step rarely makes sense until efficiency opportunities have been exhausted. One-Time Incentives Energy efficiency grant or rebate programs often exist for residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. Among energy efficiency incentive programs, lighting programs are the most common. Many efficiency programs focus on appliances or HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems. Programs offering rebates associated with pumps, motors, and variable speed drives exist as well. Grants or seed money can be offered for energy efficiency or renewable energy projects. USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 21

24 For new construction or major renovations projects, custom energy efficiency programs are more common. Custom programs take into account interactive effects. For example, reducing lighting energy use in a facility may increase its heating energy use or reduce its cooling energy use (or both) because the heating effects of inefficient lights are lost. When an efficiency strategy affects more than one system, effects on other systems must be accounted for in order to calculate total energy savings. For custom programs, project managers generally develop the methodology by which to calculate the energy savings and then submit it to the local utility for approval. Home audits are another commonly offered energy efficiency service. These programs offer analysis of home energy use and advice on energy saving improvements, and direct homeowners toward incentives for windows, insulation, or other cost-effective efficiency measures. Some utilities also offer partnerships with residential smart meter programs. Energy efficiency tools such as Microsoft Hohm and Google PowerMeter provide real-time monitoring of home energy use, but are only available through certain utilities. Ongoing Incentives Financing can be a major barrier to improving a property s energy efficiency or reducing its carbon emissions when limited capital is available. Utility loan programs can make energy efficiency improvements or sustainable energy projects more financially feasible, sometimes with zero capital outlay and immediate positive cash flow. Revolving loan funds may be available to both commercial and residential projects to help finance energy efficiency improvements. A fund usually begins with a sum of money which is initially loaned to one or several projects. Cost savings reaped from these efficiency improvements over a certain initial time period are returned to the fund to finance further efficiency projects. In this way, capital is recycled and can support ongoing efficiency gains across many different properties. Programs such as PACE (Property-Assessed Clean Energy; arrange for a loan to be repaid through an assessment on a commercial property over a period of years. The program is set up so that loan payments are offset by the cost savings provided by the energy efficiency or renewable energy investment financed by the loan. Utilizing an innovative mechanism like this enables properties to fully cover the cost of an investment with savings reaped from that investment. Building retrofit, appliance recycling, and continuous energy (commissioning) programs also exist. Continuous energy programs are common for commercial buildings, and usually use rebates or other incentives to encourage retrocommissioning, recommissioning, or ongoing commissioning of building systems. They often include energy management training for building staff. Reduction of Peak Load Demand-side management (DSM), load management, or demand response programs offer incentives to commercial and industrial facility owners who curtail energy use during times of peak demand 5. These programs allow utility customers to contribute to energy load reduction when it is most needed, offering financial incentives in return. Often, a utility will simply install a load-control device on a facility s water heater or HVAC system that allows the utility to turn off the equipment when peak loads are reached. The facility then receives a small credit on its utility bill for each instance in which its energy use is reduced at times of peak demand. This allows utilities to manage aggregate grid demand during peak conditions. Peak demand reduction is important both financially and environmentally: building additional power plants to produce all the energy needed at times of peak load would have large financial and environmental impacts. Managing peak demand through partnerships with large commercial and industrial energy users allows 5 USGBC Building Performance Partnership Handbook 22