FAQs

Large Building Benchmarking requires annual whole-building energy tracking for large commercial, multifamily, and public buildings. In addition, the program requires results to be made publicly transparent beginning one year following the initial disclosure date.

• Helps building owners track energy performance, control costs, and identify options to improve efficiency.
• Drives existing building investment.
• Supports the City’s Energy Action Plan goal to reduce energy-related greenhouse gas emissions 75% by 2035.

The benchmarking program applies to ~200 buildings. Large commercial, public, and multifamily buildings are included but industrial buildings are not. Multifamily is defined as multi-unit residential buildings including condominium, apartments, and senior residences. 

Building owners and managers would benchmark their building for the previous calendar year and submit data to the City using the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager by June 1^st each year, a date which is consistent with surrounding cities. Data will be submitted in three groups. See chart for details.

Data quality is to be verified through operational processes.

The focus of the program will be on benchmarking education, and there will be no enforcement for each group's first year. Starting in year two, civil penalties will be an enforcement option. These will be considered after reminders are given. Enforcement details are outlined in City Code. 

• Benchmarking takes an average of a few hours annually. 
• The City’s chosen a free reporting tool, the web-based ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager is the nationally-preferred tool to measure and track building energy and water use.Example of ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
• Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy allow customers' consumption data to be automatically uploaded into Portfolio Manager.
• The City will provide access to trainings and a help desk for entering data and understanding a building’s score.

Over 30 cities are showing that the building market thrives on information. Total building energy use in cities with benchmarking policies on average drops 1-3 percent annually. In Minnesota, the City of Minneapolis’ commercial benchmarking policy has recorded over 400 buildings since 2013 and recently expanded to include multifamily buildings, while Edina, St. Louis Park, and Saint Paul are currently in year two implementing their policies. See a map of policies across the U.S. here.