1. Using Benchmarking to Catalyze
Greater Energy Efficiency
Updates from Federal Government Partners
Tracy Narel, EPA
Monisha Shah, WH CEQ
Cody Taylor, DOE
Regional Utility Data Access Working Group
October 25, 2012
Philadelphia, PA

2. Data benchmarking efficiency
• Data is the lifeblood of energy management
• Benchmarking is an energy management practice
that is data-dependent
• EPA’s Portfolio Manager tool is widely used to
benchmark buildings.
• EPA analysis shows a 2.4%/year improvement (7%
over three years) for 35,000 buildings in Portfolio
Manager.
• Recent CPUC evaluation links benchmarking to
energy saving actions

3. Data Access Involves Policy and
Technology
• Relevant Public Utility Commission Policies
– Data privacy
– Rules for data aggregation
– Recovery of costs
• Utilities
– Implementation costs
– Funding
– Integration with technical platforms

4. Context in Philadelphia
10/31/13:
First city of
9/26/12: Philadelphia
Launch of Portfolio deadline for
Manager data benchmarking
exchange beta for data submission
testing June 2013:
Release of
2/28/13: Portfolio Manager
Commission rules Upgrade
on PECO’s Act 129
Phase 2 EE&C Plan
filing
6/1/13:
PECO’s Act 129
11/1/12:
Phase 2 EE&C
03/22/12: PECO files Act 129
programs begin
PECO committed to Phase 2 EE&C Plan
provide data in the
Green Button format
to their customers.
April – October 2013:
Anticipated development and rollout of PECO’s PM data exchange services
10/1/12:
(per PECO staff, subject to approval)
Green Button
Connect My Data
launched with a few
utilities

5. Methods for Benchmarking with EPA’s
Portfolio Manager
• Single Building Manual Entry
• Bulk Data Upload
– Upload large sets of building data using an Excel template
• Portfolio Manager Data Exchange
– Internet-based (i.e., web services) system for exchanging data
between EPA’s Portfolio Manager and a third party system.
(formerly automated benchmarking system (ABS))
– Over 70 energy service providers are supplying data to benchmark
60,000 buildings each month
– Ten utilities have provided energy data to benchmark over 16,000
buildings

6. Upgrade to Portfolio Manager
EPA upgrade goals
• Easier to use
– Completely new user interface
– Make data entry more user friendly, like TurboTax®
– Enhanced sharing features
• Streamlined system database
– Faster processing
– Easier to update in the future
• Modern approach to exchanging data via web service
– New REST-based web services
– Granular and synchronous services improve opportunities for
new applications

7. Green Button can increase access to
energy data in a standard, electronic way
• An industry-led, White House inspired effort to encourage
private energy suppliers to make personal energy usage data
available to their customers
• 35 utilities and electricity suppliers in various regulatory
regimes across the country have committed to provide 36
million US homes and businesses with Green Button data
– over 16 million of which already have access today!
• Green Button Download My Data and Connect My Data
• Future direction:
– Continued adoption and implementation of Green Button
– Natural gas data is starting to be released in the GB format
– Can also use the data standard for DERs: solar, EVs to building or to
grid

8. Green Button: common way to express energy data
for use in lots of different applications
One example of GB data: the amount of electricity (kWh) one metered customer
consumed every hour for the last 12 months
A commercial building owner could use Green Button data for the following applications:
• Insight: entrepreneur-created web portals analyze energy usage and
provide actionable tips;
• Heating and Cooling: customized heating and cooling activities for
savings and comfort;
• Retrofits: improved decision-support tools to facilitate energy
efficiency retrofits such as virtual energy audits;
• Verification: measurement of energy efficiency investments;
• Solar: optimize the size and cost-effectiveness of rooftop solar panels.
• And Benchmarking…

9. Possible Data Flows for
Benchmarking and Disclosure
Owner enters
EPA City transfers data
Building building Portfolio into a common City
Owner characteristics
Manager platform, e.g. SEED
City publishes data in
Utility facilitates access to energy
Utility data
standard format, potentially
from the SEED Platform
• Green Button can play a role in helping building owners get access to their
energy consumption data from utilities for use in Portfolio Manager.
• Green Button data could either be transferred to Portfolio Manager
through direct manual or automated transfers to Portfolio Manager or
through a third party service provider.

10. Potential Pathways for Using GB Download My
Data to Transfer Energy Data to PM
3rd PARTY
BUILDING 3P enters or
OWNER/ Sends GB to 3P uploads the
CUSTOMER energy data into
PM
UTILITY
Utility customer/BO OR
downloads GB data
BO enters or uploads
the energy data into PM

11. Potential Pathways for Using GB Connect My
Data to Transfer Energy Data to PM
3rd PARTY
Customer authorizes
automatic data send to 3P
BUILDING
OWNER/
CUSTOMER
UTILITY
OR
Customer authorizes utility to automatically
send data to PM

12. Next Steps
• EPA is evaluating how best to take advantage
of energy data provided in the Green Button
format
• Federal partners committed to continue
participation in EEB Hub Regional Data
Management Working Group and related
initiatives

13. Questions?
Tracy Narel
Narel.Tracy@epa.gov
http://www.energystar.gov/benchmarking
Monisha Shah
mshah@ceq.eop.gov
www.energy.gov/green-button
www.greenbuttondata.org
Cody Taylor
Cody.taylor@ee.doe.gov
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/commercial/seed_platform.html