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Chicago’s buildings notch up 25 per cent reduction in emissions
Achievement is revealed in the 2020 Chicago Energy Benchmarking Report, which details an analysis of nearly 2,900 properties spanning over 720 million square feet across the city.
The 2020 Chicago Energy Benchmarking Report reveals a 25 per cent reduction in carbon emissions per square foot in properties over 50,000 square feet and a rapid decline in energy use since 2016.
The benchmarking report details an analysis of nearly 2,900 properties spanning over 720 million square feet across the city.
Benchmarking ordinance
The Chicago Energy Benchmarking Ordinance was passed by city council in 2013 to unlock energy and cost savings opportunities in buildings over 50,000 square feet. By raising awareness of energy performance through information and transparency, building owners and tenants across Chicago are enabled to make better decisions about how energy is used to power buildings.
“The report raises critical awareness about energy performance and empowers our city’s building owners and tenants to make efficient energy choices,” said mayor Lori Lightfoot. “By reducing our energy consumption in buildings, we will not only be one step closer toward creating a greener Chicago, but also toward fulfilling the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.”
“The report raises critical awareness about energy performance and empowers our city’s building owners and tenants to make efficient energy choices”
The Chicago Energy Rating System was successfully rolled out in 2019 to increase awareness of energy use. Large building owners are now required to display a placard illustrating their building’s energy performance to the public. The 650 buildings that secured the top energy rating this year represents a six per cent increase from 2019.
The Chicago Energy Benchmarking Ordinance uses the 1-100 Energy Star score to track energy performance, which considers occupancy, operational characteristics, and Chicago’s climate zone. The median Energy Star score for all reporting properties in 2020 was 60, a three-point increase since 2019, higher than the national median of 50. This indicates Chicago properties over 50,000 square feet are performing slightly better than most comparable buildings in the US.
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There was also a 30 per cent increase in properties that received Energy Star certification since 2016, indicating Chicago properties increasingly meet strict energy performance standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These properties use less energy, are less expensive to operate, and cause fewer GHG emissions than their peers.
“A hallmark of Chicago’s successful implementation of the benchmarking ordinance has been ongoing communications and availability of technical assistance for building owners,” said Gustavo Sandoval, project manager at Elevate, which implements programmes to ensure that everyone has clean and affordable heat, power, and water in their homes and communities.
He added: “The City of Chicago remains committed to working with building owners in providing useful tools and guidance towards applicable energy-saving programmes in our region.”
Chicago is one of 25 cities selected to participate in the American Cities Climate Challenge, an effort to resource cities to take strong action to reduce pollution that contributes to climate change and impacts public health. As part of the challenge, Chicago has pledged to take bold action to reduce emissions from its building and transportation sectors.
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How does the Chicago Energy Benchmarking Ordinance improve building energy efficiency?What role does the Energy Star score play in tracking Chicago building performance?How has public energy performance disclosure impacted building owners in Chicago?What technical assistance supports Chicago building owners in reducing emissions?How does Chicago's participation in the American Cities Climate Challenge influence emissions?ChicagoClimate change/ResilienceCommercial buildingsEnergy & EnvironmenthousingMunicipal buildingsRenewablesResidential buildingsurban space
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