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July 16, 2019

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EUI and ENERGY STAR score - what do they mean?

Benchmarking allows you to measure and track your energy and water use over time and compare to buildings like yours. ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager provides users with two important, but potentially confusing metrics.  Every building will have an energy use intensity (EUI), which equals the sum of all energy use per square footage. You can take this value and compare your building's EUI to the national median EUI of similar building types. 

Portfolio Manager provides an ENERGY STAR score to buildings with the most common property types. The 1 - 100 score compares how much energy a building uses compared to peers. The score normalizes for weather, building age, and building uses among other factors. A score above "50", the national average, indicates your building is performing better than 50% of peers.

The lower the EUI and the higher the ENERGY STAR score the more energy efficient the building is.

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Is your multifamily building's ENERGY STAR score below 50? Bump it up with these tips.

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Almost all buildings have opportunities to be more efficient. If your score is below 50 or your EUI is above average, you have an even greater opportunities to save money. 

Here's how you can improve your score and save energy, water, and money:

  • Sign up for the Multi-Family Building Efficiency Program*. This program provides:
    • free LED lights for your building's common areas
    • free low-flow shower heads, faucet aerators, and LEDs in participating units 
    • free energy assessment to identify your prime opportunities to save energy
    • consulting support on project implementation and enhanced rebates for taking further actions to improve efficiency. 
    • by participating, your building meets the City of Minneapolis' energy evaluation requirement, which begins in 2020, and is valid for five years. Learn more.
  • Save water with these 10 tips.

Certifications resume for office, retail, and supermarkets. Potential ENERGY STAR score increase for office buildings.

EPA has completed the analysis for the ENERGY STAR office, retail, and supermarket models, and certifications will resume a month's end. In addition, the EPA has determined that an adjustment is needed to better account for heating energy use in the current office ENERGY STAR score model, released in August 2018. The readjustment will result in more equitable scores for office properties in all climates. Some office buildings in colder climates, like Minnesota, will see score increases with the final model (and no buildings will see decreases).

ENERGY STAR score update schedule for office buildings:

July 17th - Informational webinar to learn more about the review period, analysis, the resulting score increase for some cold climate office buildings, and opportunity to ask questions.

July 22nd - Scores will be automatically uploaded in Portfolio Manager. (Tip: To track changes to your score, download your current scores in Portfolio Manager before July 21.)

July 31st - Reinstatement of ENERGY STAR certification for office buildings.

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Don't miss out! Plan NOW to snag financial resources.

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As some programs are offered on a first come, first served basis and utility rebate offerings are constantly evolving, a good tip is to plan lighting, HVAC, and controls among other projects now to be ready to take advantage of funding opportunities. 

Green Cost Share offers matching funds up to $100,000 for commercial and multi-family properties undertaking an energy efficiency, solar, or innovative pollution reduction project. Funds for this program are highly competitive. Check the City's webpage in January every year so that your projects are first in line.

Xcel Energy - offers rebates for qualifying electricity-saving projects such as lighting retrofits and electric equipment upgrades.

CenterPoint Energy - offers rebates for qualifying natural gas-saving projects such as heating and hot water equipment upgrades.

PACE - Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) is a unique way for businesses and non-profits to finance energy projects and lump payments in with property taxes through the Saint Paul Port Authority. 

Trillion BTU - This energy efficiency improvement program administered by the Saint Paul Port Authority offers low interest rates and up to 100% financing along with a positive cash flow. 


Upcoming events and Webinars.

July 18th, 8:00 - 10:00 AM -- July Benchmarking Office Hours

EPA Webinars:


General Information

Quick Links

Minneapolis Energy Benchmarking

Portfolio Manager

Benchmarking Services User Guide by Xcel Energy 

Energy Tracker User Guide by CenterPoint Energy

Helpline

mplsenergystar@minneapolismn.gov
Phone: 612.673.3091

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