BUILDING
PERFORMANCE
WITH
ENERGY STAR
Building Performance with
ENERGY STAR®
EARLY EXPERIENCE SUMMARY
March 2012
oEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
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BULDING PERFORMANCE with
ENERGYSTAR
Building Performance with ENERGY STAR
extends a nationally recognized brand and
successful business-to-business program model
of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) to utilities and other energy efficiency
program sponsors to help them meet efficiency
program goals through greater and persistent
savings in commercial buildings.
Building Performance with ENERGY STAR was
launched in 2010 with ENERGY STAR partners
Commonwealth Edison, Mass Save,
MidAmerican Energy Company, National Grid,
New Jersey's Clean Energy Program, Pacific
Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and
Focus on Energy. This summary report
documents the early experience of these
organizations as they developed and launched
Building Performance with ENERGY STAR
programs in their service territories.
Contents
Leveraging ENERGY STAR through	3
Energy Efficiency Programs
Market Barriers Addressed	3
Program Elements	4
Participants in the Pilot Program	6
Program Profile: Focus on Energy	7
Program Profile: New Jersey Clean Energy 8
Spotlight on Successful Strategies	9
The Road Ahead	12
2

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Leveraging ENERGY STAR through Energy Efficiency Programs
Building Performance with ENERGY STAR provides a valuable platform for energy efficiency program sponsors to
penetrate commercial building sectors, deliver greater savings through a whole building approach, reach senior
decision makers to expedite project investment decisions, expand from individual projects to building portfolio
commitments, and tap into the broader power of the ENERGY STAR brand with customers.
With Building Performance with ENERGY STAR, energy efficiency program sponsors can leverage the full power of
the ENERGY STAR program for commercial buildings using a single program model. The ENERGY STAR program
works with the nation's leading building owners to adopt an action-oriented energy management approach following a
set of proven strategies that focus on top level commitment, measurement and goal setting at the portfolio level,
development and implementation of action plans, verification and continuous improvement.
With more than 4,500 businesses committed to energy management across the county, close to 40% of the
commercial floor space being benchmarked through EPA's ENERGY STAR energy management and tracking tool,
Portfolio Manager, and a public awareness rate of more than 80%, ENERGY STAR partners are delivering financial
value back to their organizations and achieve energy savings of up to 30% by following an integrated and strategic
approach. Now Building Performance with ENERGY STAR will better align the strength of ENERGY STAR with the
reach and depth of energy efficiency programs run by states and utilities to deliver greater energy savings within a
service area and across the country.
Market Barriers Addressed
Most of us have at least a general understanding of how our car mileage ranks against others cars on the market, but
even building engineers rarely know how their facility ranks against others in terms of energy use. In the commercial
building sector, this lack of knowledge about building energy performance is a key barrier to motivating operators to
improve the efficiency of their buildings. When operators are ready to implement energy performance improvements,
other barriers to energy efficiency arise. Management is focused on other priorities, and up-front capital to implement
projects is limited. Additionally, trade allies working in the energy efficiency field are not always equipped to help.
Trade ally business models are often focused on equipment sales, and do not look at improvements at the whole-
building level. The table below details the strategies used by Building Performance with ENERGY STAR to overcome
these market barriers.
Barrier
Strategy to Overcome
Lack of understanding of Benchmarking helps facility managers understand building energy performance
building performance and gives them an easy way to communicate performance to others in their
organization.
Lack of management Creating action plans with customers as part of their energy management
commitment and	strategy is an effective way to engage senior management, and secure capital for
strategic energy planning improvements. Benchmarking results can be used to direct resources toward
facilities with large energy savings potential.
Lack of up-front capital Focusing on long-term action planning helps customers see past the initial hurdle
of up-front capital requirements. Savings from low and no cost improvements can
be viewed as a revenue stream to fund future capital improvements.
Trade ally business Building demand in the marketplace for whole building services helps develop a
model driven primarily by local network of service providers that understand and can deliver whole-building
equipment saies	assessments and upgrades.

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Program Elements
Energy Efficiency Program Sponsors that implement Building Performance with ENERGY STAR in the commercial
market agree to include the following program elements:
Target Marketing/Recruiting: Target one or more of the vertically integrated market sectors covered by ENERGY
STAR (i.e., retail, grocery, hospitality, etc.).
Benchmarking: Use benchmarking with EPA's ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (described below) as a gateway
program requirement; facilitate access to energy data; and provide appropriate training and support services.
Strategic Energy Management/Action Plan Development: Provide education and guidance to program
participants on the value of an integrated approach to improving building performance. Work with program
participants to develop an Action Plan (described on Page 5) for improving the performance of their facility or portfolio
of facilities.
Whole-building Performance Assessment: Conduct building performance assessments to identify opportunities
for whole-building improvements. Encourage building managers to look at systems comprehensively, in order to
identify savings from operations and maintenance strategies and occupant behavior, and to capture interactive
savings between building systems.
Whole-building Upgrades: Develop strategies for increasing demand and supply for comprehensive building
upgrade services, including engagement with trade allies to encourage the delivery of comprehensive services, and
financial and other incentives to foster an integrated approach to building performance.
Performance Monitoring and Verification: Develop a performance monitoring and verification plan that validates
program impacts, supports ongoing energy management through re-benchmarking and other efforts, and assesses
customer satisfaction with the program.
The Building Performance with ENERGY STAR program elements were developed based on the best practices of
building operators and successful strategies of energy efficiency program administrators. This summary report
documents the early experience of program sponsors with the development and implementation of the Building
Performance with ENERGY STAR programs, and provides examples of how these program elements have been
successfully utilized in practice.
Benchmarking with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
EPA's energy measurement and tracking tool, ENERGY STAR Portfolio
Manager, allows users to track and assess energy and water
consumption across a portfolio of buildings. For many facilities, Portfolio
Manager provides a nationally recognized performance score, which
compares the energy use of individual buildings against the national
stock of similar buildings using a 1 to 100 point scale.
A strategic approach to energy management begins with benchmarking
energy performance. Benchmarking can be used to identify the best
opportunities for improvement, track performance overtime, and
document savings results.
Benchmarking as a best practice has grown tremendously in recent
years, with nearly 270,000 buildings representing close to 40% of
commercial building floor space using Portfolio Manager. Program
administrators can work with their customers to benchmark their portfolio
of buildings and better target energy efficiency investments.
Commercial Buildings Benchmarked in
EPA's Portfolio Manager (cumulative)
4

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Roles, Responsibilities, and Timelines: The Use of Action Plans
One program element that sets Building Performance with ENERGY STAR apart is the use of Action Plans to engage senior
management in planning for and implementing strategic energy management efforts. Action Plans ensure progress and
accountability, detailing near- and long-term steps that need to betaken to improve energy performance, assigning
responsible parties, and setting timeframes for completion. They are effective in engaging senior management, and ensuring
that sufficient capital is allocated for improvements.
Using a portfolio approach to energy management, action planning occurs in two phases. Energy Management Action
Planning is used to review overall energy management practices and performance, and to identify facilities that will benefit
most from in-depth assessment. Facility Action Planning is used to develop plans for implementing recommended
improvements at the building level. The diagram below illustrates the flow of customer participation, and shows how action
planning is integrated into the program process.
f	X
Establish an
Energy Team


>

Benchmark


Facilities



j


Energy Management


Action Plan






Whole-building


Assessments






Facility


Action Plans






Implement


Upgrades







>

Re-Benchmark


Facilities




Energy Management Action Plan
Conduct an Action Planning meeting with the Energy Team.
Review the process to be followed in the Building
Performance with ENERGY STAR program.
Review energy performance of all facilities and prioritize
buildings for further assessment.
Evaluate organizational energy management practices using
the Energy Management Assessment Matrix.
Establish a process to re-benchmark energy performance
and review Action Plans.
Facility Action Plans
Conduct a meeting with the Energy Team to review energy
efficiency opportunities identified during whole-building
assessments.
Review incentives offered by the Program Sponsor.
Determine upgrades to pursue and appropriate sequencing
to achieve maximum energy benefit.
Discuss relevant incentives.
Identity trade allies that can perform upgrades.
EPA provides template action plans that can be used or adapted by participating program administrators. The templates were
developed based on the experience of program administrators. For example, MidAmerican Energy's EfficiencyPartnersf®
initiative uses action plans and requires senior management to sign a non-binding agreement indicating which efficiency
measures the organization plans to implement.
"It is amazing how much difference it has made having a signed agreement
as opposed to simply conducting energy audits."
- Mindy Loveless
Program Manager, MidAmerican Energy

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Participants in the Pilot Program
Commonwealth Edison and Nicor Gas
Building Performance with ENERGY STAR
Targeted Sector: Hospitality, Assisted Living
Launch Date: January 2012
ComEd and Nicor Gas are collaborating to help customers
take a holistic approach to increasing energy efficiency.
The program will target hotels that have stable, long-term
ownership with opportunities for energy savings, and
support customers in developing strategic action plans that
address immediate, low- and no-cost (RCx) activities, as
well as capital improvements.
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National Grid, Rhode Island
Whole Building Assessment Initiative
Targeted Sector: Property Management, Supermarket
Launch Date: Integration into Existing Program
Working through an existing network of technical
assessment providers and Project Expediters, National
Grid uses benchmarking as the foundation for delivering
assessments, developing action plans, and implementing
upgrades. National Grid guides participants toward existing
financial incentive programs
and also offers educational no-H/^vnolr*r,irl
opportunities for building naTIOnaignu
occupants.
THE POWER OF ACTION
Mass Save
Whole Building Assessment Program
Targeted Sector: Property Management, Supermarket
Launch Date: Integration into Existing Program
Working through their technical assessment providers, the
Mass Save Sponsors use benchmarking as the foundation
for delivering assessments, developing action plans, and
implementing upgrades. The Sponsors guide participants
toward existing efficiency
incentive programs and may offer
educational opportunities for	macc canrs
building occupants.	mass Save
Wisconsin's Focus on Energy
Retail Energy Management Challenge I Building Performance
with ENERGY STAR
Targeted Sector: Retail
Launch Date: August 2010
Focus on Energy works with participants to benchmark the energy
performance of all their Wisconsin stores, assists customers with
developing action plans, conducts whole-building performance
assessments for selected facilities, and helps customers access
financial incentives to implement improvements. The program
provides recognition for the greatest #
energy saving accomplishments.
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The power is within you.
New Jersey's Clean Energy Program
Pay for Performance/Building Performance with ENERGY STAR
Targeted Sector: Retail, Healthcare
Launch Date: Integration into Existing Program
Building Performance with ENERGY STAR enhances Pay for
Performance by providing guidance on improving organizational
energy management practices to encourage a whole building-whole
business approach to energy efficiency. The
program leverages marketing assistance through
the Sector Specific benchmarking initiative and
financial incentives, based on actual energy
savings achieved as verified in Portfolio Manager,
provided through Pay for Performance.
New Jersey's
Clean Energy
PROGRAM-
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MidAmerican Energy
E fficiencyPartners
Targeted Sector: Office Large Retail, Grocery, Warehouse
Launch Date: Integration into Existing Program
The EfficiencyPartners initiative works with participants to create
energy efficiency action plans that identify short- and long-term
activities to achieve continuous energy improvements. By aligning
with Building Performance with ENERGY STAR, MidAmerican Energy
will harness the value of Portfolio
Manager to identify those	MidAmerican
customers and facilities best	energy
suited for this partnership.
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Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Building Performance with ENERGY STAR
Targeted Sector: TBD
Launch Date: Under Development
PG&E promotes benchmarking with Portfolio Manager and
PG&E's Automated Benchmarking service offering to
engage customers in a process of strategic energy
management. PG&E will support customers in
developing strategic action plans that address
immediate, low- and no-cost activities, as well
as future capital improvements.
Southern California Edison and Southern California Gas
Continuous Energy Improvement
Targeted Sector: TBD
Launch Date: Integration into Existing Program
SCE and Southern California Gas are
working in partnership to deliver the
Continuous Energy Improvement initiative.
This offering provides an energy advisor to help
participants with strategic energy planning,
identification of energy savings opportunities, and
action plan implementation.
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Program Profile: Focus on Energy
To pilot Building Performance with ENERGY STAR, Wisconsin's Focus on Energy is targeting whole-building savings through a
Retail Energy Management Challenge. Retailers agree to benchmark the energy performance of all of their stores in the state, and
Focus on Energy helps them develop an energy management action plan and conduct whole-building performance assessments for
select facilities. Additionally, the program provides an Award for Excellence in Energy Efficiency to the retailers with the greatest
energy savings accomplishments. Awards are provided to the retailer with the highest rating across its portfolio of Wisconsin
buildings, and the retailer with the most improved energy intensity (kBtu per square foot) or rating at the end of the challenge.
Results to Date
First-year participants, including Kohl's, ShopKo, Blain's Farm & Fleet, and Gander Mountain Sports, represented over 100 stores,
and almost 10 million square feet of floor space. A significant number of savings opportunities have been realized in initial
implementation efforts, especially low- and no-cost measures that might not have been captured under prescriptive or equipment-
centered program models. Total energy savings for the program are not yet available, but Blain's Farm and Fleet is on track to save
$140,000 across 11 stores (see text box on page 10).
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Incorporating the Program Elements
Target Marketing: The program targets the Retail sector. To participate, an organization must
operate multiple locations in Wisconsin, with an average facility size of 25,000 square feet or
greater. The program outreach includes sector-specific messaging designed to speak to
decision-makers in the retail industry.
Benchmarking: Participants must benchmark the energy performance of stores across
Wisconsin in Portfolio Manager, with a minimum of 50% of Wisconsin stores for large fleets, or
100% of stores for retailers with 10 or fewer locations in Wisconsin. Benchmarking results are
used to set a baseline for the portfolio and identify and prioritize properties to receive whole-
building performance assessments. Training and support is provided by Focus on Energy.
Strategic Energy Management: An energy advisor helps participants strategically plan for and
implement energy-efficiency improvements over time, starting with low-payback projects that
can create revenue to fund capital upgrades in the future. Participants set energy savings
goals, identify roles and responsibilities for energy management efforts, and develop a
customized action plan with timelines for implementing projects. "Practical Energy
Management" trainings, based on the ENERGY STAR Guidelines for Energy Management
are offered.
Whole Building Performance Assessment: Focus on Energy staff and a Building Tune-Up
service provider conduct walk-through assessments for 2 of the customer's 5 poorest
performing properties. A performance assessment report details and quantifies energy
efficiency opportunities.
Whole Building Upgrades: An energy advisor connects participants with appropriate Focus on
Energy incentive offerings, and encourages prioritization of projects as recommended in the
ENERGY STAR Building Upgrade Manual. As noted above, 2 of the customer's 5 poorest
performing properties must take part in a Building Tune-Up Program. Through this program,
customers agree in advance to commit up to $10,000 or $0.025/square foot (whichever is
larger) to implement measures with a payback of 1.5 years or less.
Performance Monitoring and Verification: Customers are required to keep Portfolio Manager
accounts updated. The program uses Portfolio Manager to track savings impacts, and collects
Statement of Energy Performance reports from Portfolio Manager to support evaluation efforts.
WE LIVE OUTDOORS
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Building Performance with ENERGY STAR"

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Program Profile: New Jersey's Clean Energy Program
Prior to launching Building Performance with ENERGY STAR, New Jersey's Clean Energy Program ™ (NJCEP) had promoted
benchmarking with Portfolio Manager and comprehensive whole building upgrades through Pay for Performance. While these offerings
were well aligned with ENERGY STAR, NJCEP went a step further in rolling out Building Performance with ENERGY STAR. The program
provides strategic energy management guidance at a portfolio level to produce greater long-term energy savings in facilities where whole
building upgrades are planned. NJCEP opted to focus its efforts on the retail and healthcare sectors, target segments that were harder to
reach. The program offers benchmarking assistance for properties in New Jersey and helps customers use the ENERGY STAR Energy
Management Assessment Matrix to assess organizational energy management practices. It also leverages existing financial incentives,
including Pay for Performance (P4P), which promotes a comprehensive approach to energy efficiency upgrades, matching financial
incentives to actual energy savings achieved.
Results to Date
Launched in January 2011, New Jersey's Building Performance with ENERGY STAR initiative has produced signed commitments from
retailers, healthcare, and various other institutions representing eight separate entities and twelve facilities. Eight of those twelve -
representing over 600,000 square feet - have moved on to enroll in Pay for Performance. The program has also attracted interest from
state and municipal governments, as well as private companies including hospitality and telecommunications who are looking for a more
strategic approach to improving the energy performance of their facilities. Building Performance with ENERGY STAR continues to grow
through the Pay for Performance trade ally network of nearly 150 energy consulting firms. Of the eight facilities enrolled in Pay for
Performance, five have submitted comprehensive facility assessments, two of which have been approved, and one facility recently
completed installation of recommended energy-efficiency measures.
Incorporating the Program Elements
Target Marketing: The program initially targeted retail chains and
healthcare / hospitals, markets that were underserved in New Jersey,
by leveraging relationships with sector-specific associations to promote
participation.
Benchmarking: A free portfolio-wide benchmarking report is provided to
participants to help assess variation in performance across buildings,
bring building performance to the attention of senior decision-makers,
and identify the best buildings to target for upgrades.
Strategic Energy Management: Action plan development occurs at two
levels. A portfolio-level action plan is developed, which utilizes the
ENERGY STAR Energy Management Assessment Matrix. A facility-
level energy reduction plan is also completed for specific buildings by a
P4P- approved vendor.
Whole Building Performance Assessment: A whole building energy
assessment is conducted and an energy reduction plan is completed by
a pre-approved P4P vendor. Identified measures are modeled using
building simulation tools, and must meet a minimum threshold of 15%
savings across the whole building.
Whole Building Upgrades: The program directs participants to apply for
applicable NJCEP incentives, including P4P, which provides
performance-based incentives designed to encourage comprehensive
whole-building upgrades.
Performance Monitoring and Verification: Savings are demonstrated in
P4P through a calibrated simulation method, in which a simulated
building model is compared to actual energy use. This approach
reduces the need for rigorous in-the-field Monitoring ^Verification.
Portfolio Manager is used to establish the baseline energy consumption
for a facility, determine the 15% minimum savings threshold projection,
and to verify actual savings levels 12 months after project completion.
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Getting Started
Innovative Incentives
Encourage Deeper Savings
Performance-based incentives are provided at key
milestones:
(1)	Submittal of an energy reduction plan
(2)	Installation of measures
(3)	Achievement of 15% savings, as verified by Portfolio
Manager, 12 months after project completion
Incentives for the energy reduction plan range from $5,000
to $50,000. Incentives for the next two stages range from
$0.09-$0.11/kWh, and $0.90 to $1,25/therm at each stage,
with a total incentive cap equal to 50% of the project cost.

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Spotlight on Successful Strategies
Highlights from early experience with Building
Performance with ENERGY STAR shed light on emerging
best practices and related strategies for implementing
comprehensive building performance programs.
1) Moving From Buildings to Portfolios
Program sponsors implementing Building Performance
with ENERGY STAR have experienced the value of
engaging customers across their portfolio of buildings,
rather than one building at a time. The portfolio approach
generates interaction with customers at a more strategic
level, targets initial investment at facilities with the greatest
opportunity for savings, and creates a plan for portfolio-
wide energy-saving projects in the future. Pacific Gas &
Electric was an early pioneer in working with customers to
improve a portfolio of facilities. Experience from PG&E's
More than a Million program informed the development of
the Building Performance with ENERGY STAR program.
The portfolio approach was described by the New Jersey
Clean Energy Program as "a natural extension of the
whole-building approach." Through their program
implementation, N J CEP has observed an evolution in
customer thinking. Many customers are initially focused on
equipment replacement opportunities. With guidance, they
begin to consider interactions between energy end uses
as well as occupant actions. Finally, Building Performance
with ENERGY STAR helps customers take the next logical
step to approach an entire portfolio more thoughtfully.
Wisconsin's Focus on Energy fully incorporated the
portfolio approach in its Building Performance with
ENERGY STAR program, requiring participating retailers
to benchmark the energy performance of stores across
Wisconsin. Focus on Energy was able to target its efforts
by performing assessments on two of the worst
performing buildings for each participant. Participating
retailers appreciated the insight on the variation in
performance across their portfolios, and were able to
apply best practices for savings across all properties.
2) Benchmarking as a Mechanism for
Discovery
Benchmarking is an effective, proven practice for
understanding building performance and identifying under-
performing buildings. As part of its Building Performance
with ENERGY STAR program, NJCEP used
benchmarking to successfully engage customers at the
portfolio level, and referred to benchmarking as a
"mechanism for discovery". NJCEP found that
benchmarking drew customers into the program, and
motivated them to take the next steps to improve
performance. Building managers were interested in
understanding energy performance across their portfolio
of buildings, and how that performance compared to their
peers. Benchmarking results were valuable in identifying
the best candidates for energy efficiency opportunities
within a portfolio. Additionally, benchmarking established a
common performance metric within an organization,
allowing facilities staff to easily communicate with
management.
Benchmarking can be used to educate and motivate
building operators, but it does not identify specific
opportunities to improve performance. This is where
program administrators can build upon the discovery
process, and offer whole-building performance
assessments to determine energy savings opportunities.
National Grid and NSTAR were two of the first utilities to
couple benchmarking and performance assessments, a
practice which has since been successfully replicated by a
number of program sponsors.
For program administrators, benchmarking can be used to
target program funds effectively, by conducting
performance assessments on facilities that have been pre-
identified as poor performers. This pre-qualification, along
with the action planning elements of the Building
Performance with ENERGY STAR program model,
contributes to a greater likelihood that customers act on
the assessment results.
Getting Trade Allies to Team
A major barrier to achieving deeper savings in existing buildings is that the trade ally industry is dominated
by product sales, with businesses specializing in particular components of the building system, e.g.,
motors, chillers, controls, etc. The New Jersey Pay for Performance developed an innovative strategy to
overcome this barrier. The program requires trade allies to fill out an application to become an approved
partner. Partners must demonstrate a focus on comprehensive whole building energy efficiency
improvements. Companies with a single focus (i.e. lighting or HVAC) may team together and submit a
joint application. This approach ensures that the full range of energy efficiency opportunities are identified
in all buildings.
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PAY FOR PERFORMANCE
A P P R 0 V E 0 PARTNER
9

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3) Being a Trusted Advisor
O&M as a First Step to Comprehensive Savings
Low and no-cost operations and maintenance (O&M) measures
can be used by program administrators as a tool to attract
customers, and to set the stage for comprehensive energy
efficiency improvements. The case of Blain's Farm and Fleet, a
participant in the Focus on Energy program, illustrates the
success of this strategy. The regional retail chain store achieved
savings of $3,000 to $4,000 per store through O&M measures
identified by the Focus on Energy program, including control fixes
and upgrades. Motivated by the O&M savings, Blain's decided to
pursue longer payback projects. Nearly $10,000 was saved per
store by implementing capital projects including skylighting, a
new energy management system with more stringent setback
and scheduling, and lighting upgrades.
In the end, Blain's achieved nearly $140,000 in savings across 11
stores. But perhaps more important was the change in mindset
that came about through the Building Performance with ENERGY
STAR action planning process. The positive experience of
capturing smaller savings opportunities helped Blain's to see the
value of a staged approach to energy improvements, and allowed
them to look ahead to bigger-ticket efforts. Furthermore, Blain's
was able to shift its energy management focus from one building
at a time to a portfolio-wide approach. By starting small, Blain's
was able to raise its sights to achieve even larger savings.
Absent a broader context for understanding actual
building performance and the best path for
improvement, customers may be skeptical of trade ally
advice. The Building Performance with ENERGY STAR
program model puts the program sponsor in the role of
trusted advisor, beyond the transactional relationship
typical of most energy efficiency incentive programs.
Several elements of the program - including sector
understanding, portfolio benchmarking, energy
management support and action plan development -
contribute to developing a deeper and longer term
relationship with customers.
National Grid has been expanding the focus of their
Whole Building Assessment program to include the
supermarket/grocery industry. They have noted that a
deep understanding of sector-specific needs is critical
to getting and keeping the customer's attention, and in
convincing them of the value of energy efficiency
improvements, particularly in building types that contain
specialized equipment.
Taking on the role of trusted advisor allows program
sponsors to be more proactive in recommending
strategies, as opposed to reacting to customer
requests, or having only limited interactions with
corporate rebate processors. While many of the
program elements were not entirely new to Focus on
Energy, the Building Performance with ENERGY STAR
program represented the first time that Focus on
Energy led customers through a step-by-step approach
bringing together all the pieces. The action planning
guidance provided was particularly helpful to Focus on
Energy. It provided a means for establishing roles,
responsibilities, and timelines to help to keep customers
moving along when otherwise projects might have stalled.
In the role of trusted advisor, program sponsors may be in
a position to identity and capture additional savings
opportunities. As one example, Focus on Energy found
that many low- and no-cost operational savings were able
to be claimed via their Building Performance with
ENERGY STAR effort (and specifically through the
Building Tune-Up program) that otherwise may not have
been captured. Program participants were pleasantly
surprised by the number of low- and no-cost opportunities
identified. Additionally, a positive track record of identifying
and capturing savings opportunities in operations can
pave the way for more capital intensive projects down the
line.
FARM & FLEET
4) Helping All Customers Do More
Do particular organizations or building types provide the
best targets for building performance programs? Early
experience with Building Performance with ENERGY
STAR has shown that the program can appeal to a wide
variety of customer classes, building types, and
experience levels. With respect to experience, clearly the
program can benefit customers with limited energy
management knowledge. It can help them understand
building performance, and develop a strategic approach to
energy management. The program has also attracted
customers with more advanced energy management
practices. These customers recognize that the program is
about pursuing opportunities for "continuous
improvement", which can be found at all organizations,
regardless of past experience.

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The strategic nature of Building Performance with
ENERGY STAR was the differentiator that led one retailer
to participate in Focus on Energy's Building Performance
with ENERGY STAR program. This retailer had already
implemented many advanced energy management
practices, and was regularly benchmarking the energy
performance of buildings with ENERGY STAR. However,
they saw this as an opportunity to identify buildings that
were underperforming compared to other Wisconsin
facilities, and set a goal of improving the score of those
buildings by at least 10 points. The retailer was not
interested in a lighting survey, since they had already
improved lighting in their stores - they wanted a program
that could identify savings beyond what they had already
discovered and captured. It was the strategic and
diagnostic components of Building Performance with
ENERGY STAR that were of most interest and value.
For program administrators encountering customers who
believe they have exhausted the energy efficiency
opportunities in their facilities - customers whose typical
response would be, "We are sure you have great
programs, but we've done everything we can in our
facilities" - the strategic nature of Building Performance
with ENERGY STAR can be a conversation changer.
5) Reaching Higher: A New Level of
Access
What does it take to reach the senior decision-makers
within an organization? Energy service companies and
program administrators have grappled with this question
for years, frustrated by seeing financially valuable projects
stall as a result of organizational inertia. Building
Performance with ENERGY STAR offers sponsors a new
tool for gaining access to decision-makers with financial
authority to commit to energy-saving projects. Focus on
Energy found this to be particularly true for national chains
that operate multiple properties within its service territory.
The program model provided Focus on Energy an
opportunity to engage with corporate decision-makers, as
opposed to local store managers or corporate
administrative personnel that are often responsible for
filling out rebate forms.
Knowing the right value propositions for a particular
industry can also increase access to senior decision-
makers. The sector-focused approach of Building
Performance with ENERGY STAR assists program
sponsors in organizing and expanding their internal
expertise, in order to speak with greater knowledge about
the factors that drive decision-making in a particular
sector. Through the Building Performance with ENERGY
STAR program, Focus on Energy formed a dedicated
team to work with retail customers, which they believe will
increase their future effectiveness in working with this
sector. One particular lesson learned was that a whole-
building approach appealed to retail chains - since best
practices that are identified at one store can frequently be
applied across the portfolio of stores.
In addition to the short-term benefits of getting projects
approved, there are long-term benefits of developing
relationships at a more senior level. Organizations that
commit to energy management at a high level are more
likely to develop plans that will involve repeat participation
in energy efficiency programs over a multi-year period.
Additionally, these organizations will employ practices that
ensure persistence of savings from projects that are
funded by program administrators.
Working Together: Coordinated Efforts of Electric and Gas Utilities
A challenge with whole-building performance programs is gathering data for all fuels, which is required to fully assess energy
performance. Some single-fuel utilities have put the responsibility on the customer to gather data for other fuel types. Others have
become creative in designing partnerships with utilities serving the same territory.
Mass Save® : In Massachusetts, all energy efficiency programs, including the Building Performance with ENERGY
STAR offering, have been standardized under a statewide initiative called Mass Save. This allows electric and gas
efficiency program providers to collaborate on analyzing whde-building energy data and offering incentives.
Sponsors include Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, The Berkshire Gas Company, Cape Light Compact, National
Grid, New England Gas Company, NSTAR, Unitil, and Western Massachusetts Electric Company.
Commonwealth Edison and Nicor Gas: In Northern Illinois, ComEd signed on as an initial participant in the
Building Performance with ENERGY STAR pilot program. Nicor Gas subsequently submitted a program plan to the
Illinois Commerce Commission for a Building Performance with ENERGY STAR program, and began developing
an offering that could be jointly sponsored by the two organizations.
Southern California Edison and Southern California Gas: SCE and SCG are working in partnership to deliver
the Continuous Energy Improvement (CEI) offering. CEI is well aligned with Building Performance with ENERGY
STAR, and will incorporate the ENERGY STAR brand as the program expands from the industrial to commercial
markets.
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The Road Ahead
Building Performance with ENERGY STAR has
demonstrated a successful approach to engaging
customers at a strategic level. EPA appreciates the
contribution of leading program administrators who
provided input during program development, field-tested
program offerings, and shared best practices and lessons
learned. EPA will continue to work on areas for further
program development, including the following items:
M&V for Building Performance Programs
There are a number of challenges associated with
monitoring savings from building performance programs. It
is difficult to capture interactive effects between measures,
to quantify savings due to operations and maintenance
improvements, and to attribute savings for measures that
are implemented over time rather than as a single
package. EPA will continue to work with program
sponsors to identity ways to overcome these challenges.
Program participants have also identified benefits of
Building Performance with ENERGY STAR with respect to
M&V. Focus on Energy expects that the use of pre- and
post-implementation benchmarking, along with strategic
energy management guidance, increases the likelihood
that customers will attribute savings to program sponsor
activities when it comes time for third-party evaluations.
NJCEP noted that it is important to consider the quality of
savings from Building Performance with ENERGY STAR,
in addition to the quantity. The strategic aspect of the
program, including the direct engagement between the
sponsor and the customer, can result in greater
persistence of savings.
Strengthening Trade Allies for Delivering
Building Performance
A goal of Building Performance with ENERGY STAR is to
build the market of trade allies that deliver services to
improve whole-building performance. Demand for these
services will be the most potent force for expanding this
market. Program administrators can help build demand
through the design of their programs. Strategies may
include providing strategic energy management training for
trade allies or aligning financial incentives to encourage an
integrated approach to building performance. EPA will
continue to highlight creative program designs, such as the
teaming arrangements of Industry Partners encouraged
through NJCEP's P4P program (described on page 9), and
will foster dialogue to explore new ideas. For training
needs, program administrators can take advantage of EPA
resources designed for trade allies.
New Success Stories
Program administrators interested in offering a strategic
energy management program can now take advantage of
the Building Performance with ENERGY STAR program
platform, and are encouraged to contact EPA for details
on program requirements. By offering Building
Performance with ENERGY STAR, program
administrators can leverage the powerful ENERGY STAR
brand to attract program participants, and can utilize
proven energy management strategies to help customers
tap into program incentives and take advantage of the
right resources at the right time to maximize savings.
"It's great to see many successful program strategies for comprehensive energy savings
come together in a single model that can be easily utilized by program administrators."
-	Focus on Energy
Incorporating the ENERGY STAR brand through Building Performance with ENERGY
STAR will enhance our Whole Building Assessment offering."
-	National Grid
www.energystar.gov/buildingperformance
ENERGY STAR® is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program helping businesses and individuals fight
climate change through superior energy efficiency. Learn more at energystar.gov.

ENERGY STAR
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