The City of Oak Park Energy and Water Benchmarking 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 February 2023, this program provides building owners insight into their building’s energy efficiency and helps meet the City of Oak Park’s Climate Action Plan goals.
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WHAT BUILDINGS ARE COVERED UNDER OAK PARK BENCHMARKING?
Covered Village Property
A property that:
- Is 10,000 Sq. Ft. or larger
- Is owned by the village
- A property for which the Village pays all or most of the annual energy bill
Covered Non-Village Property
A property other than a village property that is 10,000 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 OAK PARK BENCHMARKING REPORTS DUE?
December 31, 2026. Starting in the 2027 reporting year, the deadline will become June 30 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.
Oak Park does not currently have a BPS program.
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.
Oak Park does not currently require data verification.
WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES IF YOU DON'T COMPLY WITH OAK PARK BENCHMARKING?
Failure to comply with Oak Park’s benchmarking ordinance will be subject to fines up to $750 per day, while non-compliance lasts.
HOW DO I COMPLY WITH OAK PARK BENCHMARKING?
CONTACT US HERE to learn more and get started with compliance.
Oak Park Energy and Water Benchmarking Ordinance 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 OAK PARK BENCHMARKING COMPLIANCE?
Ordinances such as Oak Park Energy and Water Benchmarking 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.
OAK PARK BENCHMARKING RESOURCES
Climate Policy
Climate Ready Oak Park
Bill Text
Oak Park Article 14
Ordinance Homepage
Oak Park Building Benchmarking
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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