Benchmarking Savings Add Up Quickly, Says EPA

Data from 35,000 buildings in which EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager was used to benchmark energy performance from 2008 to 2011 show average savings of 2.4% per year, for total average savings of 7% over three years. According to a survey in Building Operating Management, 70% of facility managers who use Portfolio Manager report using it to inform energy-efficiency upgrade plans.

The majority of buildings of all types in the analysis achieved savings, with the greatest improvements in retail, office, and K–12 school buildings; in general, buildings with the lowest initial performance achieved double the savings of more efficient buildings. According to EPA, similar average reductions in all U.S. buildings’ energy use would avoid the release of 18 million tons of CO₂ equivalent every year—saving approximately $4.2 billion in the first year alone.