The City of Columbus Energy & Water Benchmarking and Transparency Ordinance is a citywide energy benchmarking & disclosure program requiring owners of existing buildings to report energy and water use annually, using ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®. Effective as of March 2020, this program provides building owners insight into their building’s energy efficiency and helps meet the City of Columbus’ Climate Action Plan goals.
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WHAT BUILDINGS ARE COVERED UNDER COLUMBUS BENCHMARKING?
Property Size
Commercial and multifamily buildings 50,000 Sq. Ft. or larger.
WHAT INFORMATION IS REQUIRED FOR BENCHMARKING?
Annual benchmarking reporting requires 12 calendar months of whole-building energy, water, and building use data. For example, in 2025, building owners must report 12 months of 2024 data.
WHEN ARE COLUMBUS BENCHMARKING REPORTS DUE?
June 1, annually. Benchmarking reports must be submitted on an annual basis using the previous year’s data via ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®. This is the EPA’s benchmarking tool that is used for compliance reporting in most ordinances across the country.
WHAT INFORMATION IS REQUIRED FOR BPS?
Building Performance Standards (BPS) are often considered Phase II of these building energy use ordinances. After reporting your benchmarking data, many ordinances require you to make changes to the building’s operations or equipment to lower energy use over time.
Columbus does not currently have a BPS requirement.
WHAT IS THIRD-PARTY DATA VERIFICATION?
Third-party data verification requires owners/managers of covered buildings to hire a third-party expert who will independently review and verify the building’s benchmarking data.
Columbus does not require data verification.
WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES IF YOU DON'T COMPLY WITH COLUMBUS BENCHMARKING?
Failure to comply within the Columbus Energy and Water Benchmarking and Transparency Ordinance will result in the issuance of a written warning. If compliance is not achieved within 60 days of the warning, the Property Owner will be subject to late fees and penalties as outlined in the Combined Development Related Fee Schedule.
HOW DO I COMPLY WITH COLUMBUS BENCHMARKING?
CONTACT US HERE to learn more and get started with compliance.
Columbus Energy & Water Benchmarking and Transparency compliance can be confusing and hard to navigate. Bringing on a consultant like VCA Green streamlines the entire process while ensuring accurate reporting. We also offer free consultations with our benchmarking clients to review the reports and identify inefficiencies to improve.
WHEN SHOULD I START COLUMBUS BENCHMARKING COMPLIANCE?
Ordinances such as the Columbus Energy & Water Benchmarking and Transparency Ordinance are already in effect across the country, and deadlines are rapidly approaching. Retrieving historical building data will take time, especially when coordinating with property managers and utilities.
Waiting until the last minute risks missing compliance windows resulting in fines and enforcement penalties. VCA Green takes every measure to ensure complete and accurate data collection. The sooner you reach out, the sooner you will reach compliance.
COLUMBUS BENCHMARKING RESOURCES
Climate Policy
Columbus Climate Action Plan
Bill Text
Chapter 4117 – Energy Benchmarking
Ordinance Homepage
Columbus Benchmarking Website
VCA GREEN PROCESS
With every phase of the process, VCA Green’s experienced and knowledgeable team is here to guide you on the results, options, and path forward to meet your compliance goals.
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