Benchmark Ohio Buildings with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
The short answer
Benchmarking compares a building's energy use with similar buildings. The free ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool from the U.S. EPA does it for most commercial building types: enter floor area, use details and 12 months of utility data, and it returns energy use intensity (EUI) and — for eligible types — a 1–100 ENERGY STAR score, where 50 is the national median and 75 or higher qualifies for ENERGY STAR certification.
For price benchmarking (are you paying too much per kWh?), see small-business price benchmarking.
What you need to benchmark
| Input | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Gross floor area | Leases, drawings, assessor records |
| Property use details (hours, workers, computers, refrigeration, etc.) | Operations |
| 12 months of electricity (and gas) use | Utility bills or portals |
| Year built, location | Records |
Quick benchmarks from EIA data
EIA's 2018 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) gives average electricity intensity by building type — useful as a first check before you set up Portfolio Manager:
| Building type | Avg kWh per ft² per year |
|---|---|
| Office | 13.6 |
| Retail (not mall) | 13.7 |
| Food service | 43.8 |
| Grocery store | 56.4 |
| K-12 school | 9.1 |
| Hotel | 13.0 |
| Non-refrigerated warehouse | 5.3 |
| Refrigerated warehouse | 29.6 |
| Religious worship | 4.9 |
For comparison, CBECS reports an average of about 11.7 kWh/ft² for commercial buildings in the East North Central region, which includes Ohio.
Using the results
- Score below 50: likely savings from schedules, controls and maintenance before capital projects.
- Big gap between similar sites: compare equipment, hours and settings between the two.
- Rising EUI over time: equipment degradation or schedule drift; check overnight baseload.
FAQ
Is benchmarking required in Ohio?
Ohio has no statewide building benchmarking mandate; some tenants, lenders and customers request it.
What is a good ENERGY STAR score?
50 is the median; 75 or higher is eligible for certification.
What if my building type doesn't get a score?
Portfolio Manager still calculates EUI, which you can compare against CBECS averages and your other sites.
Sources
- ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager: https://portfoliomanager.energystar.gov/
- EIA CBECS 2018 tables C14/C22: https://www.eia.gov/consumption/commercial/data/2018/