Businesses with facilities of 20,000 square feet or more are invited to join a Longmont Power & Communications effort to track their energy use.
Longmont’s building energy benchmarking program, which was piloted last year, has put out the call for commercial and industrial buildings to join the program in 2021.
“Building energy benchmarking compares a structure to similar building types across the U.S. in similar climates — such as comparing an office building to another office building or a school to a school — using no-cost Environmental Protection Agency software. That information can then be used to help improve the property’s energy efficiency,” according to a news release issued last week by Longmont Power & Communications.
Similar programs elsewhere have allowed companies to reduce energy costs by 2.4% per year on average, LPC spokesman Scott Rochat stated in the release.
About 280 commercial and industrial buildings in Longmont are eligible to participate in the 2021 voluntary program, according to LPC, which expects to expand the program to smaller commercial and industrial buildings in the future.
Companies and organizations wanting more information or to begin the process of benchmarking a large building can click here for instructions and a link to begin entering their information. Once data is entered, participants can report it online to LPC beginning March 1, according to the release.
“Awareness is the key to energy efficiency,” LPC Executive Director David Hornbacher stated in the release. “This provides a useful tool for Longmont’s businesses to gain that awareness and create energy savings.”
The benchmarking program was included in recommendations made by Climate Action Task Force, which were adopted to “help encourage a more sustainable and energy-efficient community,” according to the release. That goal also is supported by the Efficiency Works program offered by Longmont and the other three Platte River Power Authority cities — Loveland, Estes Park and Fort Collins, according to the release. In 2020, 22 of Longmont’s largest electric customers worked with Efficiency Works to save a combined 5.2 million kilowatt-hours of energy, enough to power nearly 650 Longmont homes for a year, the release stated.
LPC in 2020 conducted a demonstration benchmarking program involving 10 customer buildings and 10 municipal buildings. Some of the participants in that program will share their experiences during a virtual panel discussion at 11 a.m. Feb. 25. To pre-register for the panel, which is being hosted by the Longmont Area Chamber of Commerce, click here.
