Engineered Tax Services: Energy Star

Energy Star

ENERGY STAR

Benchmark your building and earn the ENERGY STAR label!
Your building will win energy points and be on its way to LEED® Certification.

Does your building qualify for an ENERGY STAR label? A commercial or industrial building with an ENERGY STAR label
or LEED® Certification uses less energy, is less expensive to operate and creates fewer greenhouse gas emissions than
its peers.

Energy use in commercial buildings and manufacturing plants accounts for nearly half of all energy consumption in the U.S. at a cost of over $200 billion per year, more than any other sector of the economy.

Commercial and industrial facilities are also responsible for nearly half of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to global warming. Increase your building’s energy efficiency to reduce your building’s operating expenses and increase your return on investment. You will also be protecting the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving natural resources. Shoot for the ENERGY STAR label and go green for more green. Commercial and industrial facilities are responsible for 80% of greenhouse gas emissions in New York City as well as nearly half of emissions nationwide. Some government entities are mandating that future building leases consider ENERGY STAR-labeled facilities over those that do not possess this prestigious credential. Given the choice, tenants choose to lease space in an ENERGY STAR-labeled building over other buildings. An ENERGY STAR label means a well-run building where management cares about energy efficiency. Some government entities also require that the buildings they lease be LEED® Certified. Studies show that LEED® Certified buildings on average have 3% higher rents than competing buildings. Benchmarking is the first step.

Benchmarking is the first step to greater energy efficiency (and more profit!), the ENERGY STAR label and LEED® Certification. We measure your building’s baseline energy use and benchmark that baseline against comparable buildings. Your building’s benchmarking score shows how it ranks. The higher the score, the better.

Some government entities are mandating that future building leases consider ENERGY STAR facilities over those that do not possess this prestigious credential. ETS can assist you with the ENERGY STAR process from services ranging from setting up Portfolio Manager to working with our clients to implement strategies to work towards energy efficiency with an end goal of attaining the Energy Star credential through facility audits and certifications.

Benefit from benchmarking your building and taking energy conservation measures. First, you will know that you are striving to fight global warming by using less energy than your peers. Second, your bottom line will benefit from increased energy savings (you should be able to realize approximately 10% to 40% savings on your building’s utility bills without compromising comfort or services). Third, you will show the world that your organization is making a commitment to reduce its impact on the environment. Establish yourself as a leader by doing what’s right for the planet and for future generations. Research shows significant portions of our population prefer to work for or do business with organizations they perceive to be environmentally responsible.

The ETS ENERGY STAR Process
Our professional team is available to assist, consult, set up and perform ENERGY STAR certification inspections. We have the intricate knowledge and technical expertise to assist you in reaching your energy goals. The typical ENERGY STAR certification process includes the following:

Assemble and forward 24 months of utility data to our analysis team
Create a unique portfolio for your facility(s) and enter the data into the ENERGY STAR analysis tool
Review the results of the ENERGY STAR assessment
If the assessment yields results >75%, we will arrange a meeting with your team to review the next steps and audit the facility for compliance
If the assessment yields results <75%, we will work with your team to review strategies on how achieve an ENERGY STAR rating for your facility

The following building types are eligible for ENERGY STAR application:

Commercial Buildings	Bank Branches
Courthouses	Dormitories
Financial Centers	Hospitals
Hotels	House of Worship
K-12 Schools	Medical Offices
Retailers	Warehouses
Manufacturing Plants	Auto assembly plants
Cement plants	Container glass manufacturing
Flat glass manufacturing	Frozen fried potato processing plants
Juice processing	Petroleum refineries
Pharmaceutical manufacturing plants	Offices
Supermarkets

New York City: Benchmarking is Now the Law
As part of New York City’s PlaNYC 2030 and Greener, Greater Building Plan, all commercial and industrial buildings over 50,000 square feet in the five boroughs of New York City must be benchmarked according to EPA ENERGY STAR Benchmarking. As New York grows in population over the next 20 years, it’s crucial that we know how much energy we’re using and become increasingly energy efficient, not only for our wallets, but also for our planet. Some state governments, local municipalities and utility authorities offer incentives to offset the cost of the Professional Engineer (PE) verification that is required for commercial buildings to earn the ENERGY STAR label. Incentives vary and may cover up to 50% of the fee up to $1,000 per building. Ask us about the incentives that might apply to your project.

Please contact us for a complimentary discussion of your specific situation.