Commercial Building Benchmarking

Geoff Pettis

Regional Manager

Franklin Energy

Topic: Technology

Energy represents about 19 percent of total expenditures for the typical office building, which is a significant operational cost that deserves some attention. There are many ways that a company can save energy, like installing a programmable thermostat that changes the temperature when a space is not in use. Or, by simply using weather stripping, or ensuring the cooling system filters are clean. But realistically, the funding is not always available for every energy-saving investment one would like to make.

That is why it is important to prioritize your investments to maximize your return. In a typical office building, lighting, heating, and cooling represent about 65 percent of total energy use. Making those systems the best targets for energy savings.

Office buildings can benefit from quick low-cost/no-cost energy-saving solutions, such as turning things off, turning things down, and keeping up with cleaning and maintenance. Though turning things off may seem insufficient, remember that for every 1,000 kilowatt-hours you save by turning things off, you save an average of $100 on your utility bill.

Long-term solutions should also be considered. These solutions typically have a more extensive implementation, but they can dramatically increase the efficiency of your facility without compromising the working environment.

A company can complete a site assessment to analyze energy usage, which offers a summary of all energy efficiency opportunities. Site assessments also include a review of funding and financial opportunities that may be available from your energy provider and other resources.

Once the targeted energy-saving investments have been determined, it is important to set prioritized goals and effectively implement each tactic. It is also helpful to understand how you are charged for your energy usage (most utilities charge commercial buildings for their natural gas based on the amount of energy delivered). All of this information will give you the foundation to benchmark and analyze your progress.

The ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, an online tool accessible to everyone, has made it especially easy to analyze your energy usage. Companies can track and monitor their energy consumption, benchmarking how well their building performs against other similar buildings nationwide.

Tracking the energy-saving improvements will help show the return on your investments, and exactly how much your company has saved by implementing energy-saving tactics. It can also qualify your business to receive an ENERGY STAR rating.

Though, the bottom line is that all conservation measures, short- or long-term, represent good investments. Most will not only save money but will also enhance both the aesthetics of your office and the productivity of your workers.