Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a Benchmark and a Baseline?

In the B3 Benchmarking system, the Benchmark is an engineering model of the site, produced on the fly, that predicts how much energy that site would use if it were built to today's energy code. The benchmark is used to compare each site's actual vs predicted performance to identify which sites should be audited for energy improvement projects. If you improve the right sites in your portfolio, you will get the best return on your improvement efforts and funds.

The Baseline is a comparison of your site to itself over time. You select a baseline period, and the B3 Benchmarking system automatically applies weather normalization to shows how the site would perform in subsequent years if operated in the same fashion. The difference between actual consumption and the baseline is savings, based on year over year changes in the operation, occupancy, building components, or systems.

How do I add sites and buildings?

We will soon be adding functionality to the application to allow sites and buildings to be added by users with proper editing rights. In the meantime, you must use our Add-A-Building form to request those additions.

What if my meter serves multiple buildings?

In the Meter Editor, please check the buildings that the meter is connected to.

Am I the right person to be handling this?

Please Contact Us with the name and phone number of the person you feel should handle this inquiry.

How do I contact you?

All the contact information is on the Contact Us page.

Should I tell you about other public buildings?

You bet! We are always trying to keep our databases current.

I have a space usage type not included in your list.

Please do your best to find a similar space type from the list of possible types. Benchmarks can only be gathered for known space usage types. If you cannot find an exact or similar space type, you may select 'Other'.

How many meter readings should I enter?

At minimum, the B3 Benchmarking requires 12 consecutive months of consumption data for all active meters. The system will estimate gaps for you if you miss a month, but it will not estimate large portions of missing data.

The site list looks like it sorts incorrectly in the Benchmarks view. One of my Sites is a known good performer, but it is low on the list (or vice versa).

If one of your Sites looks like it ranks incorrectly in the list, you may have entered incorrect Tier 1 consumption data, Space Usages, or square footage. If you are certain all of those are correct, please enter the additional Tier 2 information in the Building Editor page. The more information we have, the more accurate the Energy Benchmark will be.

What's in it for me?

You get to see how your Sites and Buildings are performing compared to an engineering energy benchmark. This can help you identify Buildings that are good candidates for improvement, and perhaps justify funds to do so.