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Benchmarking

Benchmarking Adoption
This page details the steps your community needs to take to get Clean Energy Communities certification for this High Impact Action (HIA) by NYSERDA and how Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council (G/FLRPC) can assist you. Please email your Regional Coordinator, Rob Richardson, at rrichardson@gflrpc.org so he can help you get started. If you have already been in touch with another member of G/FLRPC team regarding this specific HIA, email them directly for help completing this action item.  

Step 1: Adopt Benchmarking Legislation
Adopt Local law, Ordinance, or Resolution (template legislation can be accessed in the Benchmarking toolkit at www.nyserda.ny.gov/cec) that requires the applying jurisdiction to make available to the public on the internet on an annual basis, energy use information for each municipal building that is owned or occupied by the applying jurisdiction that is 1,000 square feet or larger. At a minimum, publicly disclosed energy use information shall include each building’s energy use intensity (EUI), annual greenhouse gas emissions, and an energy performance score where available. 

G/FLRPC will help you:

  • Create an ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Account
  • Enter basic information required by Portfolio Manager and set up property profile(s)
  • Enter property uses and details into profile(s)
  • Enter energy use data for all fuel types to create a baseline

Step 2:  Submitting Documentation  
The final step is to submit the following documents to NYSERDA for certification of this Action Item:  

  • Submit a certified copy of an executed local law, ordinance, or resolution (template legislation can be accessed in the Benchmarking Toolkit) that requires the applying jurisdiction to make available to the public on the internet on an annual basis, energy use information for each municipal building that is owned or occupied by the applying jurisdiction that is 1,000 square feet or larger. At a minimum, publicly disclosed energy use information shall include each building’s energy use intensity (EUI), annual greenhouse gas emissions, and an energy performance score where available.

 

Additional Benchmarking actions include:

Advanced Reporting
Step 1: Generate Report & Share with Community
Make available to the public on the internet annual summary statistics for each covered property including Energy Use Intensity (EUI), annual greenhouse gas emissions, an energy performance score where available, and other descriptive information as required by Portfolio Manager. Share your community’s Portfolio Manager account with NYSERDA.

Step 2: Connect community portal with NYSERDA
G/FLRPC will help you:

  • Generate and review the building’s report in Portfolio Manager
  • Submit the report to the municipality through Portfolio Manager
  • Connect your community’s account with NYSERDA


Step 3: Submitting Documentation  
The final step is to submit the following documents to NYSERDA for certification of this Action Item:  

  • Share your community’s Portfolio Manager account with NYSERDA. Add NYSERDAcec1 contact in your My Contacts. Share with “view all read only access” permissions to the NYSERDAcec1 contact for all buildings and meters in your Portfolio Manager account. Submit a screenshot on the Sharing Tab of your Portfolio Manager account which shows an accepted share request with NYSERDAcec1, or comparable information, stating that NYSERDA has accepted the sharing request. Date of completion is when the sharing request was accepted.

 

Benchmarking - Large Private Buildings (Only Available for Communities Above 40,000 Residents)
Step 1: Adopt Legislation
Adopt a local law or ordinance, (template legislation can be accessed in the Benchmarking Private Buildings toolkit at www.nyserda.ny.gov/cec) as described for Municipal Building above, but apply the requirements to the owners of commercial and multifamily buildings 25,000 square feet or larger.

Step 2: Submit Documentation
Submit a copy of an executed local law or ordinance, (template legislation can be accessed in the Benchmarking Private Buildings Toolkit at www.nyserda.ny.gov/cec) as described for Municipal Building above but apply the requirements to the owners of commercial and multifamily buildings 25,000 square feet or larger.

Submit your documentation here: High Impact Action Item Documentation



G/FLRPC Resources