Over the course of the past year, the EPA has been evaluating ENERGY STAR’s scoring methodology for several types of properties, including commercial office buildings and hotels. After soliciting feedback and taking a deeper look at their performance models for grading, the EPA has recently announced a new scoring standard.
While still using a scale from 1 to 100, the new standard adjusted the scoring methodology to best account for heating degree days and cooling degree days. That means heating energy use will be better represented in the new scoring system, thus buildings that reside in cold climates will likely see an increase in their ENERGY STAR score. This is good news for those with properties in colder climates and have more heating degree days than cooling degree days.
Another bonus, the EPA also reinstated the ENERGY STAR Label certification for office properties. So if you are an office property owner that has an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher, you can now apply to earn both a 2018 and 2019 certification this year.
Curious to see what those changes look like for you? You can review the “Analysis and Key Findings” from the EPA’s Review of the ENERGY STAR Model for U.S. office Properties and for hotel properties. For more information on other building type changes and general FAQs, you can check out ENERGY STAR’s website.
Still have questions? Reach out to your Bright Power energy analyst for questions regarding your property’s ENERGY STAR score or certification.