Labeling Program Helps Building Owners Save Energy

ASHRAE officials have developed the Building Energy Quotient (bEQ) program, which assigns an energy usage quotient based on completion of an in-operation assessment and includes an ASHRAE Level I Energy Audit to buildings.

"bEQ lets a commercial building owner zero in on opportunities to lower building operating cost and make informed decisions to increase value," says Tom Phoenix, a consulting engineer in Greensboro, N.C., who chairs the bEQ committee. "The ultimate goal of the program is to encourage more energy-efficient buildings and give owners more control over rising energy costs."

The key component of the program is the in-operation assessment and the ASHRAE Level I Energy Audit, which serves as the industry standard for determining a building's energy use and producing an actionable plan to improve building performance. To meet bEQ's requirements, the assessment must be performed by an ASHRAE-certified building energy assessment professional.

"The bEQ documentation provides data on actual energy use and other information that will allow owners to evaluate and reduce their buildings' energy consumption," Phoenix says. "When all the facts on a building's energy use are known, an owner can make informed decisions to manage energy use."

bEQ was introduced two years ago as a pilot program with the intent of providing an easily understood scale to convey a building's energy use in comparison to similar buildings and climate zones, while also providing building owners with building-specific information that highlights potential energy saving opportunities. Under the program, buildings are eligible to receive an "In Operation" rating as long as the building has at least 12 months of consecutive energy use data. The rating is based on the building and how it is operated.