Benchmarking is the process of accounting for and comparing a metered building’s current energy performance with its energy baseline. Benchmarking allows for comparison of a building’s performance over time as well as with similar types of buildings whether they are within the portfolio or across the industry. Benchmarking is also useful to document and recognize top performers.

 

A variety of tools are available on the market for energy tracking and benchmarking. Energy Star Portfolio Manager has the greatest market penetration. ESPM is a free tool that can be used to track data, generate reports, set goals, and effectively overview any number of buildings across many different building types.

 

Additionally, USGBC Arc is a new digital platform that uses data to help measure and improve sustainability performance across the built environment, from buildings to cities and beyond. Arc’s data-centric approach connects actions and tracks progress through a performance score that allows projects to track and benchmark progress. Arc is a free tool for schools to use.