Salt Lake City

Sustainability

Contact SLCgreen (801) 535-6470 | slcgreen@slcgov.com

Elevate Buildings

Elevate Buildings is a Salt Lake City initiative which began in 2016 to identify ways the City could increase energy efficiency, while bolstering economic development, improving air quality, and decreasing energy waste.

Over 18 months, the Department of Sustainability collected feedback from industry experts, local utilities, the commercial real estate community, the public, and other cities. The conclusions drawn from the Elevate Buildings engagement process shaped the final Energy Benchmarking & Transparency Ordinance, as well as the energy efficiency programs offered through the City, and the energy data automation services offered by Rocky Mountain Power and Dominion Energy.

Read the ordinance (18.94) here.

Read the press release after the City Council passed the ordinance in August 2017.

Building owners and managers can learn more about compliance, workshops, and other resources using the navigation buttons below..

For questions or assistance, email benchmarking@slcgov.com or call 801-535-6477.

Resources

Salt Lake City Building I.D. & Contact Information

Find your unique Salt Lake City Building ID number and update contact information at www.slcbenchmarking.com 

Property and building owners that manage buildings 50,000 square feet and above are required to report energy use data by May 1, 2019.

Property and building owners that manage buildings 25,000 square feet and above are required to report energy use data by May 1, 2020.

Some buildings are exempt from ordinance requirements under specific conditions. Click here for more information on exempt buildings and to access the Exemption Form.

Benchmarking Guides & Resources

Salt Lake City Benchmarking Guide (Click Here)

Energy Star Portfolio Manager Support & Resources

ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Support Materials: The U.S. EPA offers free online resources to help buildings get started on using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Software:

How-To Videos: The following YouTube video links provide step by step instructions on specific tasks using the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager software.

Direct Assistance

Salt Lake City Sustainability staff are available to to assist with questions via email and phone:

Email: benchmarking@slcgov.com

Phone: 801-535-6477

Automated Energy Data Services

Automated Energy Data Service

Read the Ordinance Here

Read the ordinance (18.94) here.

Read the press release after the City Council passed the ordinance in August 2017.

How to Improve your ENERGY STAR Score

Improve your ENERGY STAR Score

Connect with utility experts, energy efficiency experts, and learn more about education and training opportunities for you, your facility managers, property managers, engineers, and even tenants.

Get started by reviewing the options below and you are well on your way to becoming an energy efficiency and clean air champion!

I am a . . .


Building Owner or Representative of Owner

As a building owner you have the opportunity to invest in energy efficiency that will not only save energy but improve the attractiveness of your buildings to tenants. Check out the following links to find ways to improve your efficiency.

  • Click here to browse the multiple electric utility incentives offered by Rocky Mountain Power.
  • Click here for the utility incentives offered by natural gas provider Dominion Energy.
  • Many of the energy efficiency measures are a matter of operation. Investing in building operator training can help improve your building’s efficiency without having to spend on capital upgrades. Check out the following courses for operators and facility managers:
    • IFMA Sustainability Facility Professional
    • ASHRAE Building Commission Professional Certification
    • LEED AP Operations & Maintenance
  • For new tenants or lease renewals, consider a green lease.
  • If you are planning to sell your building consider requesting an appraiser who has Green Building education credits.
    • If you are interested in becoming more sustainably-minded in your own business, check out multiple certifications from BOMA International.
  • Financing – Check out the C-PACE Program and other offerings from Economic Development.

Property Manager of Multiple Buildings

Managing multiple buildings offers you the chance to bundle projects and capture more incentive savings from utility programs and energy audits. Utah has robust programs that are catered directly for you. Follow the links to find out more. 

  • If you are a commercial property manager check out Rocky Mountain Power’s program here. One portfolio at a time, CRE Connect simplifies access to technical expertise and cash incentives from Rocky Mountain Power to improve energy efficiency and your net operating income. 
  • For gas utility incentives on the GS Rate Schedule, there are multiple incentive types for both prescriptive purchases and custom projects.

Tenant Who Pays Utility Bills

As a tenant, energy savings factor in directly with your business costs. Contact your landlord and utility to work together for upgrades and improvements. Consider a green lease


Tenant Who Does Not Pay Utility Bills

Sign up for our e2 Business Program to find ways to be more sustainable. Little thing add up in our community and every step will help us reduce our carbon emissions and improve air quality. Consider a green lease

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When will this ordinance affect my building?

A: City-owned properties will need to submit benchmarking information on May 1, 2018. Buildings 50,000 square feet or greater will need to submit on May 1, 2019. Buildings 25,000 square feet or greater will begin submitting on May 1, 2020.

Q: How much time will it take to benchmark a building?

A: The time varies based on an individual’s familiarity with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. Set-up time may take up to a full day for one building but should take just a couple of hours each year to update once your portfolio is set up. Automated data cuts down on the time dramatically.

Q: Does this ordinance require mandatory upgrades?

A: No. This ordinance will not require buildings to implement any capital improvements or change their operations in any way. Owners may voluntarily choose to improve their ENERGY STAR Score by taking advantage of the many incentives offered by our local utilities.

Q: Is there a penalty for non-compliance?

A: The ordinance states that “the Director may issue up to three written notices of noncompliance to the Owner, allowing Owner to remedy such noncompliance within 90 days after each notice of violation. After the third written notice of violation, the Director may impose a fine of up to $500 per violation thereafter not exceeding a total of $1,000 annually.”

Q: What if I own a campus of buildings?

A: If you have multiple properties where at least one of the buildings is at least 25,000 square feet and the entire campus as a single cohesive property with a shared primary function (such as a hospital) you may submit your benchmarking data on Portfolio Manager as a campus. If your campus does not fall under this definition please contact us at 801-535-6477.

View the Above-Average Energy Performers

Each year, beginning in 2020, Salt Lake City publishes those reporting commercial buildings that received an ENERGY STAR score of 50 or greater from the previous year, designating them as above-average performers. Reflected below are the buildings that achieved an EPA ENERGY STAR score of 50 or greater in the 2020 reporting year.

About ENERGY STAR scores

EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager calculates an ENERGY STAR score for applicable benchmarked properties based on several factors, including:

  • Building Size
  • Location
  • Age
  • Building Type
  • Total Energy Consumption

These factors, compared against data from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), are used to assess the building’s energy performance against its peers—those that share similar characteristics as mentioned above.

ENERGY STAR scores range from 1-100. An ENERGY STAR score of 50 or greater means that a building performs better than at least 50% of its peers nationally.