In Iowa, the State Energy Office enhanced a benchmarking platform that will be used to improve building stock throughout the state. The City of Des Moines recently passed the Des Moines Benchmarking Ordinance, which will require commercial buildings over 25,000 sq ft to track/report their energy and water usage. B3 Benchmarking will serve as a reporting platform for participants and will highlight areas in need of improvement. A Public Innovations & Efficiencies Checklist (PIE), which the Iowa Energy Office worked on with the State of Iowa Auditor, will be incorporated in the B3 Benchmarking Platform and will serve as a guide for low and no-cost energy efficiency improvements.
SEP funds were used to update the B3 Benchmarking software. Updates include an Awards and Recognition Program that tracks user activity within B3 and assigns points for participation. The B3 Report Card was also developed to provide users with a snapshot of their building portfolio and identifies potential energy savings over a 12-month period. An upcoming initiative will incorporate high school volunteers through their Silver Chord programs who will learn to track their school’s energy usage via B3.
Contact Information for the Iowa Energy Office