Whether mandated by policy makers or encouraged by market forces, whole building aggregated or individual tenant specific data, benchmarking is a critical first step in understanding how your building is performing and what can be done to maximize that performance for short and long term financial gain. SoCalGas supports several state and local benchmarking policies and programs including:
- California Assembly Bill 802 (AB802) - Building Energy Use Benchmarking and Public Disclosure Program
- City of Los Angeles Existing Building Energy and Water Efficiency Ordinance
- California Clean Energy Jobs Act (Proposition 39)
- Benchmarking with ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®
- Training and Support
What is Benchmarking?
Benchmarking is a no-cost way to compare your facility's level of energy efficiency with that of similar facilities nationwide. Benchmarking can help you increase energy efficiency and reduce operating costs, which can help raise property values.
Benefits of Benchmarking
Benchmarking can help you:
- Meet new state and local laws* that may require your building to disclose its energy performance benchmark rating annually.
- Prioritize energy-efficiency investments
- Track energy-efficiency improvements over time
- Receive EPA recognition
California Assembly Bill 802 (AB802)
Assembly Bill 802* (Williams, Chapter 590, Statutes of 2015) establishes a new statewide building energy use benchmarking and public disclosure program. AB802 requires utilities to provide energy consumption data for covered buildings to the building owner or owner’s agent upon request, and requires the California Energy Commission (CEC) to establish a benchmarking and public disclosure program.
Aggregated, whole building data will be available to requesters defined as a “covered building” under AB802. This legislation allows building owners (or authorized agents) the ability to obtain the total energy usage data (across all tenants) for their building, in most cases without obtaining authorization.
Individual tenant-specific meter data can be made available to requesters who receive individual authorization from each tenant in the building. Previously, SoCalGas provided this information in compliance with California State Assembly Bill (AB1103). Although AB1103 is no longer in effect, SoCalGas is continuing to provide this service to requesters who would like access to the data. You can access the data release by downloading the Customer Information Standardized Request (CISR form) for tenants who will need to provide explicit authorization before their data can be released.
Covered Building: Any structure used or intended to support or shelter any use or occupancy, other than a condominium development, meeting either or both of the following:
- Receiving energy from a utility, with no residential utility accounts.
- Having five or more active utility accounts of any one energy type, at least one of which is residential.
The owner of a covered building, or the owner’s agent, may request energy use data from
SoCalGas by completing the Benchmarking Usage Request* form.
City of Los Angeles Local Ordinance
The City of Los Angeles Existing Building Energy and Water Efficiency Program* Ordinance will require certain city, private, and state owned buildings to benchmark energy and water usage. SoCalGas can support an authorized requestor comply with the ordinance by providing natural gas usage for the building by completing the Benchmarking Usage Request form.
For more information on how to comply with EBEWE visit the City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety site.
California Clean Energy Jobs Act (Prop. 39)
Eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) including county offices of education, school districts, charter schools and state special schools can request funding via Prop. 39* for eligible energy improvement and clean energy generation projects in school.
SoCalGas, in support of the Prop 39 benchmarking requirement, can accept a Utility Data Release Authorization Form (CEC-12) and Account Information Form (CEC-24) from an eligible LEA as required for funding. For more information on Prop 39 details visit the Energy Commission* web page.
Benchmarking with ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®
Portfolio Manager®* is the EPA's ENERGY STAR® online measurement and tracking tool that allows you to:
- Track and assess the energy and water consumption of your buildings.
- Generate weather-normalized energy use intensity and greenhouse gas emissions metrics.
- Generate a one to 100 ENERGY STAR energy performance scores for many eligible building types.*
- Generate custom reports that allow you to see time trending information and compare buildings within your portfolio.
Getting Started With Web Services
Information for property owners requesting usage data.
In order to receive disaggregated data (individual meter) you will need to validate the request. There are two methods to validate a request, either by self-validating in Portfolio Manager® using the account and meter numbers as well as the most recent bill amount or providing SoCalGas with a CISR authorization form. It is suggested that you gather this information first before proceeding. After each meter has been authorized for release, SoCalGas will upload usage data to the property owner's Portfolio Manager® account, usually within one week.
- Create your account in Portfolio Manager®*.
- Add and setup your building or property.
- CREATE and NAME each meter the actual SoCalGas 8-digit meter number ONLY. This can be found on your bill or on the meter.
- CONNECT your property with SoCalGas.
- SHARE your property with SoCalGas®. During this process you will be asked to provide the account number and last bill amount.
Information for property owners requesting aggregated usage data
- Create your account in Portfolio Manager®*.
- Add and setup your building or property.
- CONNECT your property with SoCalGas.
- After your property has been connected with SoCalGas, connection requests typically take 24 hours to take effect. Please visit Benchmarking Usage Request* form to complete your request. You will need to provide all addresses associated with the property.
Read our How-to-Guide for detailed step-by-step instructions on how to create your account and initiate Web Services.
Information for Tenants
Property owners are subject to several California policies requiring them to benchmark and disclose the energy use of their building. To comply with these policies, property owners may need building tenants to release their energy data for use in the benchmarking analysis.
To release data to your property owner, complete the Customer Information Standardized Request (CISR form) The CISR will require the following information.
- Account number(s)
- Name of the customer of record
- Property address
- Building owner and tenant signatures
- Check box for EPA Benchmarking is marked
- Check off the appropriate authorization
When complete, provide the CISR form to your building or property owner.
Training and Support
- If you are interested in learning more about ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager, please view the video tutorials on benchmarking.
- For questions on SoCalGas' Web Services, contact us at 1-888-431-2226 or email us at scgbenchmarking@socalgas.com.
- For additional information regarding the California Energy Commission (CEC) AB 802 Building Energy Benchmarking Program, please contact the CEC at 1-855-279-6460 or email them at Benchmarking@energy.ca.gov.
ENERGY STAR and ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager are registered trademarks of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. All rights reserved. SoCalGas' energy-efficiency programs are funded by California utility customers and administered by SoCalGas under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.