Buildings consume more than 70 percent of the electricity generated in the U.S. Much of that energy goes wasted due to building inefficiencies. It is well documented that improving building energy efficiency can reduce energy use and costs by up to 50 percent. So why don’t more building owners take steps to improve building energy performance? Simply put, they don’t know where to begin.
Most owners don’t know how well or poorly their buildings use energy. This type of information is not typically included in a monthly energy bill. Consequently, many owners are spending hundreds and even thousands of dollars more than they need to on energy. In this economy, owners cannot afford to waste a single dollar on unnecessary expenses.
San Francisco city officials want to make sure more owners have the information they need to reel in energy waste and spending. Next week, the city’s Board of Supervisors will conduct its first reading of a proposed ordinance that would make benchmarking standard for commercial property owners.
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