Report on building energy consumption released

The IMT's report, Building Energy Transparency, was compiled using data from five cities and two states regarding commercial building owners measuring their properties' energy consumption.

July 26, 2011

The Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) released the first national review (PDF) for building energy ratings and disclosure policies in the United States. The policies, which have been enacted into law by several states and cities throughout the U.S., require commercial building owners to measure their properties’ energy consumption and disclose the data.

The purpose of these laws is to make energy consumption more transparent to tenants, owners and the general public. The laws also encourage improving energy efficiency in buildings and help stimulate the demand for new technologies and concepts to that effect.

The report, Building Energy Transparency, is a review of building energy rating and disclosure laws in the cities of San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Austin, Texas. The states of California and Washington were also including. It is expected the report will affect 4 billion square feet of building space.

A compact user’s guide by CB Richard Ellis has also been released, titled “Guide to State and Local Energy Performance Regulations,” which can be downloaded.