SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS

Asset Classes

Focus Area

Energy and Carbon

Topic

Benchmarking

Question #

E3.2 — Benchmarking Carbon Emissions

Question

Are the building’s carbon emissions quantified and benchmarked?

Applicability

All asset classes
Owner/landlord occupied building – whole-building
Tenant occupied building – owner has access to utility data for the whole-building
Tenant occupied building – systems managed by the owner/landlord

Answer & Scoring

Select one of the following:

  • Yes – Enter the most recent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity (kgCO2e/ft²) from ENERGY STAR = 2 points
  • No = 0 points
  • Not Applicable – Tenant occupied building: Owner/landlord does not have access to utility data OR Tenant occupied building: No systems managed by the owner/landlord= 0/0

Max of 2 points

Requirements

To determine the most recent whole-building greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity (kgCO2e/ft²):

  1. Enter whole-building carbon emissions data (direct and indirect) under the benchmarking section of the BOMA BEST hub (bomabesthub.com)
  2. If whole-building carbon emissions are calculated by adding data from different bills or sub-meters, provide a brief narrative describing the methodology applied. Show how the 12-month total use was calculated
  3. If any spaces were excluded, provide a brief narrative describing the methodology applied
  4. For any sub-meters referenced, provide details, such as make, model, location, photo and year of installation
  5. Calculate GHG emissions intensity for the building based on the utility data available, direct and indirect emission factors in the region, systems controlled by the owner/landlord and the floor area.

ENERGY STAR defines Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions as follows: https://portfoliomanager.energystar.gov/pm/glossary#GHGemissions

Documentation

Provide all of the following:

  • Data Verification Checklist printed from ENERGY STAR or a screenshot from BOMA BEST Benchmarking section showing the GHG emissions intensity
  • Narrative of benchmarking methodology and sub-meter data, if available
  • Emission factors per fuel type and reference source
  • Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity calculations

Suggested Lead

In-house, with third-party support if needed

Value

  • Benchmarking carbon emissions helps keep building management teams to be accountable for a building’s annual carbon emissions and track a building’s progress toward carbon emissions reduction goals
  • Upload whole-building utility data to EnergyStar Portfolio manager, to track carbon emissions associated with energy use and determine the building’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity

RELATED Question:

Description

It is important to establish carbon baselines to enable measurement and tracking of progress toward net-zero goals.

Portfolio owners may also benchmark their properties against other buildings within their portfolio to evaluate comparative progress and prioritize asset renewals.

References

Adapted BB 3.0 Question

New in BOMA BEST 4.0