Multifamily Compliance: Tracking Whole Building Data for Benchmarking and BPS
For owners and operators of multifamily housing, navigating the increasing demands of building performance standards (BPS) and local benchmarking ordinances requires an understanding of energy and water consumption. A crucial element in this process is the concept of Whole Building Data – a comprehensive view of a property's total resource usage.
Understanding Whole Building Data
Whole Building Data encompasses the complete utility consumption for an entire multifamily property. This includes the energy (electricity, natural gas, district heating/cooling) and water usage across all areas, such as:
Individual Residential Units: The consumption within each apartment.
Common Areas: Usage in hallways, lobbies, amenity spaces (gyms, pools, community rooms), laundry facilities, and any other areas not directly billed to individual tenants.
Building Systems: Energy used by central HVAC systems, lighting for common areas, elevators, pumps, and other building-wide equipment.
Outdoor Usage: Water for landscaping, irrigation, and potentially energy for outdoor lighting or heating.
This holistic perspective provides a true understanding of a property's environmental footprint and is essential for accurate benchmarking and BPS compliance.
Deciphering What's Included
Whole Building Data typically comprises of:
Energy Consumption: Measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) for electricity, therms or CCF for natural gas, and potentially BTUs for other fuel sources.
Water Consumption: Measured in gallons or cubic feet.
Time Period: The specific dates the data covers (usually monthly).
Meter Identification: Information that helps identify which meters are included in the aggregation (though often anonymized for tenant privacy).
Potentially Cost Data: While the initial focus is on consumption, associated utility costs are often necessary for benchmarking reporting and financial analysis.
Strategies for Obtaining Whole Building Data
Acquiring comprehensive Whole Building Data for multifamily properties can present unique challenges, particularly when individual tenant units are separately metered. Here are common strategies:
Engaging with Utility Providers (Aggregated Data)
In regions with benchmarking mandates or forward-thinking utility companies, property owners can often request aggregated whole-building data. This combines consumption data from all meters serving the property into a single, anonymized dataset, safeguarding tenant privacy. Utility companies may have specific protocols and necessitate owner consent. The availability of this service can vary based on location and the number of units.
Leveraging Master Metering
Properties with master meters for all or most utilities simplify data collection, as the owner directly receives the whole building consumption data from the utility provider. This is more common in older buildings or for specific utilities like water.
Partnering with Utility Bill Management Services:
Specialized utility bill management companies can handle the complex process of collecting and aggregating utility data from diverse sources, including direct utility connections and tenant-provided information.
Implementing On-site Submetering:
Installing submeters in individual units enables direct tracking of tenant consumption. However, data from any master meters serving common areas is still required for a complete Whole Building Data set.
Successfully obtaining and managing Whole Building Data is a critical step for multifamily owners aiming to comply with benchmarking ordinances and Building Performance Standards. By understanding what constitutes this data and exploring the various acquisition methods, property owners can lay the groundwork for effective performance tracking and regulatory adherence.
Ready to take action?
GreenT Climate Software is here to help! We can evaluate your current property performance and evaluate your risk under existing and emerging Building Performance Standards (BPS). Our team provides recommendations to the compliance pathway that works best for your building.
Contact us for all your needs and questions. We can support you in deciding your pathway to compliance, model your whole building data, and more!
