On the Path: Rating the Energy Performance of Commercial Buildings
Wouldn’t it be convenient to compare the energy performance of commercial buildings as readily as you can compare the mileage ratings of different vehicles? Local and state governments around the Northwest are implementing programs to facilitate this process. While the proposed programs, so far, will all rely on EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, to compare operating performance, each of these independent systems will have its own unique characteristics. However, there is an alternative national system emerging, developed by ASHRAE and partners, allowing comparisons of buildings as designed (known as an asset rating) and in operation (actual, operating performance). Rather than having to analyze how Seattle’s rating system might differ from Portland’s when trying to compare buildings in the two cities, ASHRAE’s Building Energy Quotient system will soon offer a common analytical platform. This is something to keep on your radar screen.
Read more about this new rating system at the BetterBricks website.
Also worth noting is that DOE is working on a national asset rating system (with a provisional plan to release next Fall), and California also plans to release its own asset rating system next year. It seems likely that each will have a different rating scale, although the underlying data inputs and modeling approaches will have many similarities
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