With the longest government shutdown in U.S. history behind us, ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager is back online and most city/state benchmarking mandates are back on schedule. However, ENERGY STAR certifications are still on hold as the EPA continues to evaluate their scoring models.

ENERGY STAR certifications

In August 2018, the ENERGY STAR scores of many building types dropped as part of EPA's regular cycle of updating energy performance metrics in Portfolio Manager. While scores changed across the board, some markets were disproportionately impacted.

The EPA has placed a hold on ENERGY STAR certifications for most property types (e.g., office, retail, hotels, warehouses) while they analyze industry feedback on the scoring changes and determine if adjustments need to be made. The government shutdown has prolonged this process.

Benchmarking mandates

ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager is used for every major benchmarking mandate across the country and the list keeps on growing. Aside from the City of Seattle, all mandates appear to be back on schedule (see table below). If you need benchmarking support, Breea can help you navigate the specifics.

City/State  Property Types Required  Deadline Link to Full Details
 Atlanta Nonresidential and multifamily buildings ≥ 25,000 sq. ft. June 1st Atlanta Building Efficiency
 Berkeley Nonresidential and multifamily buildings ≥ 25,000 sq. ft. July 1st BESO Ordinance
 Boston Nonresidential and multifamily buildings ≥ 35,000 sq. ft. May 15th Boston BERDO Ordinance
 Boulder Nonresidential buildings ≥ 30,000 sq. ft. June 1st Boulder Building Performance
 California   (state-wide) Nonresidential and multifamily buildings ≥ 50,000 sq. ft. June 1st Building Energy Benchmarking Program
 Cambridge Nonresidential buildings ≥ 35,000 sq. ft.; multifamily buildings ≥ 50 dwellings May 1st Cambridge BEUDO Ordinance
 Chicago Nonresidential and multifamily buildings ≥ 50,000 sq. ft. June 1st Chicago Energy Benchmarking
 Denver Nonresidential and multifamily buildings ≥ 25,000 sq. ft. June 1st Energize Denver
 District of   Columbia Nonresidential and multifamily buildings ≥ 50,000 sq. ft. April 1st DOEE Benchmarking
 Kansas City Nonresidential and multifamily buildings ≥ 50,000 sq. ft. May 1st Energy Empowerment
 Los Angeles Nonresidential and multifamily buildings ≥ 20,000 sq. ft. June 1st LA EBEWE
 Minneapolis Nonresidential buildings ≥ 50,000 sq. ft. June 1st Minneapolis Ordinance
 New   York City Nonresidential and multifamily buildings ≥ 25,000 sq. ft. May 1st Local Law 84
 Orlando Nonresidential and multifamily buildings ≥ 50,000 sq. ft. May 1st Orlando BEWES
 Philadelphia Nonresidential and multifamily buildings ≥ 50,000 sq. ft. June 30th Philadelphia Benchmarking
 Pittsburgh Nonresidential buildings ≥ 50,000 sq. ft. June 1st Pittsburgh Benchmarking
 Portland Nonresidential buildings ≥ 20,000 sq. ft. April 22nd Portland Performance Reporting
 Salt Lake City Nonresidential buildings ≥ 50,000 sq. ft. May 1st (may be extended) SLC Elevate Buildings
 San Jose Nonresidential and multifamily buildings ≥ 50,000 sq. ft. May 1st San Jose Building Performance Ordinance
 Seattle Nonresidential and multifamily buildings ≥ 20,000 sq. ft. July 1st (extended from Apr 1) Seattle Energy Benchmarking
 St. Louis Nonresidential and multifamily buildings ≥ 50,000 sq. ft. May 1st St. Louis Building Energy Awareness
 San Francisco Nonresidential and multifamily buildings ≥ 10,000 sq. ft. April 1st San Francisco Environment