{"id":20737,"date":"2018-08-28T06:00:48","date_gmt":"2018-08-28T13:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/?p=20737"},"modified":"2026-02-22T15:43:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T23:43:12","slug":"score-alert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/score-alert\/","title":{"rendered":"Score Alert"},"content":{"rendered":"

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s ENERGY STAR\u00ae score gives building owners a snapshot of their property\u2019s energy performance by comparing it to a database of similar buildings.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Performance metrics in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager\u00ae, an online tool for tracking energy and water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, changed on Aug. 26 to reflect the most recent market data available. This update is part of EPA\u2019s standard process to \u201ckeep ENERGY STAR metrics as current as possible, and reflective of current market performance,\u201d the agency says. The revised ENERGY STAR criteria incorporate the most recent Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), which constitutes the baseline against which owners compare their buildings to earn certification. In short, the change is an effort to make sure that the \u201csimilar building\u201d comparisons for performance are as accurate as possible.<\/p>\n

EPA continues, \u201cThe most recent market data available shows an overall improvement in the energy performance of the U.S. building stock in recent years. So when Portfolio Manager metrics are updated on August 26, ENERGY STAR scores and other performance metrics will, on average, go down.\u201d The new calculations \u201cwill be applied across all time periods, which means scores and metrics for all historical benchmarking data will change. By applying this update across all time periods, you\u2019ll continue to be able to analyze changes that are a result of your own activities, rather than changes in underlying market data.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe change is significant for buildings pursuing LEED or Green Globes certification, for buildings with GSA or other government space leases tied to an ENERGY STAR score of 75, for buildings in cities with mandatory benchmarking, and for the more than 450,000 commercial properties that have an ENERGY STAR score,\u201d says Baltimore environmental attorney Stuart Kaplow, publisher of a green building law blog.<\/p>\n

A property\u2019s score indicates a building\u2019s performance relative to similar buildings. A score of 5, for example, indicates a building is in the lowest 5% of performance among that category, but also indicates the facility may be ripe for energy-efficiency investments. A score of 75 or higher makes the building eligible for ENERGY STAR certification, whose benefits include lower costs from reduced energy consumption, increased asset value from meeting tenant and investor expectations, fewer greenhouse gas emissions and eligibility for leasing to a federal tenant.<\/p>\n

To help ease the transition, EPA:<\/p>\n