Energy Star Building Upgrade Manual Benchmarking Chapter 2

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ENERGY STAR Building Manual
2. Benchmarking
Revised April 2008
2.1 Overview 2
Successful Benchmarking 2
Types of Benchmarking 3
2.2 Develop a Benchmarking Plan 4
Set Goals 4
Define the Scope and Identify a Benchmark 5
Develop Data Requirements 7
Engage Partners 9
2.3 Implement the Benchmarking Plan 9
Collect Data 9
Evaluate Benchmarks and Apply the Results 9
2.4 Summary 12
Bibliography 12
Glossary G-1
12.1 Overview
Businesses are reducing their energy use by 30 percent or more through effective energy man-
agement practices that involve assessing energy performance, setting energy savings goals, and
regularly evaluating progress. Building-level energy performance benchmarking is an integral
part of this effort. It provides the reference points necessary for developing sound energy man-
agement practices and strategies and for gauging their effectiveness.
Energy use benchmarking is a process that either compares the energy use of a building or
group of buildings with other similar structures or looks at how energy use varies from a
baseline. It is a critical step in any building upgrade project, because it informs organizations
about how and where they use energy and what factors drive their energy use. Benchmarking
enables energy managers to determine the key metrics for assessing performance, to establish
baselines, and to set goals for energy performance. It also helps them identify building upgrade
opportunities that can increase profitability by ...