Benchmark NH
You can’t manage what you don’t measure! Track your town’s energy usage with Portfolio Manager, compare buildings in your town, and learn how to reduce your costs.
Why Benchmark?
“The slogan could be: Put it in writing and you will save! We reported the town energy usage in our annual report and now everyone has ideas to reduce town energy costs.”
– Theresa Swanick, Effingham Energy Committee
"The Town of Plainfield, NH has benefitted from the use of Portfolio Manager to benchmark where we stood as compared to other municipalities as well as measuring our own progress as we moved the performance of our school from the 30th percentile to the 96th over a multi-year period. It also helps us monitor performance going forward to make sure we continue to maintain our progress. The Energy Committee for the town is having a similar experience as we work on the municipal buildings. If you don’t measure it, you can’t control it."
-Allan, Plainfield NH
– Theresa Swanick, Effingham Energy Committee
"The Town of Plainfield, NH has benefitted from the use of Portfolio Manager to benchmark where we stood as compared to other municipalities as well as measuring our own progress as we moved the performance of our school from the 30th percentile to the 96th over a multi-year period. It also helps us monitor performance going forward to make sure we continue to maintain our progress. The Energy Committee for the town is having a similar experience as we work on the municipal buildings. If you don’t measure it, you can’t control it."
-Allan, Plainfield NH
How to Benchmark:
1. Obtain digitized energy use data from your utility
Tracking energy involves obtaining usage data from electric and heating fuel providers. A few years (or at least one year) of historical usage data can help provide a good baseline of usage. Heating fuel data can be obtained from each respective fuel provider.
2. Upload excel data into Portfolio Manager
EPA’s FREE Portfolio Manager tracking tool will upload data from excel spreadsheets and provide reports on energy use for each building entered. Free tutorial or in person assistance is available for getting up to speed using Portfolio Manager.
3. Share your data with BenchmarkNH
Share your results with the Local Energy Solutions Work Group through Portfolio Manager's share button so we can assist you in the next steps including audits, technical assistance, and other resources. You can also compare your municipal facilities to similar facilities all across NH.
Tracking energy involves obtaining usage data from electric and heating fuel providers. A few years (or at least one year) of historical usage data can help provide a good baseline of usage. Heating fuel data can be obtained from each respective fuel provider.
- Follow the instructions for downloading or requesting digitized energy usage data from your electric utilities.
2. Upload excel data into Portfolio Manager
EPA’s FREE Portfolio Manager tracking tool will upload data from excel spreadsheets and provide reports on energy use for each building entered. Free tutorial or in person assistance is available for getting up to speed using Portfolio Manager.
- Go to www.ENERGYSTAR.gov and click on the Portfolio Manager link.
- Log in with your user name and password. If you don't have a user name and password, click on the big green "Sign Up" button and set one up.
- Follow the easy to use steps to add your properties and enter your energy bill information.
3. Share your data with BenchmarkNH
Share your results with the Local Energy Solutions Work Group through Portfolio Manager's share button so we can assist you in the next steps including audits, technical assistance, and other resources. You can also compare your municipal facilities to similar facilities all across NH.
- Click on the "Contacts" link at the top right hand side of your Portfolio main page.
- Click on "Add Contact".
- Go To 'Find Contact in Portfolio Manager", add: Name- Julia Dundorf, username- JDundorf
- Click the "Connect" button.
- You will get a notification that Julia and the LES Work Group has accepted your connection.
- Go to "Sharing" tab, choose "Share a Property" and choose which buildings you would like to share.
Energy Benchmarking Defined:
According to the US EPA, energy benchmarking is a first step in your energy management practices "that involve assessing energy performance, setting energy-savings goals, and regularly evaluating progress. Facility- or building-level energy performance benchmarking is an integral part. It provides the reference points necessary for gauging the effectiveness of energy management practices and management for continuous improvement."
Definitions:
You’re probably already familiar with site energy, which is the amount of heat and electricity consumed by a building as reflected in your utility bills. Looking at site energy can help you understand how the energy use for an individual building has changed over time.
EPA has determined that source energy is the most equitable unit of evaluation. Source energy represents the total amount of raw fuel that is required to operate the building. It incorporates all transmission, delivery, and production losses. By taking all energy use into account, the score provides a complete assessment of energy efficiency in a building.
For more information on site energy use vs. source energy use.
According to the US EPA, energy benchmarking is a first step in your energy management practices "that involve assessing energy performance, setting energy-savings goals, and regularly evaluating progress. Facility- or building-level energy performance benchmarking is an integral part. It provides the reference points necessary for gauging the effectiveness of energy management practices and management for continuous improvement."
Definitions:
- Energy Benchmarking may also be referred to as an energy inventory.
- EUI= Energy Use Index, the amount of energy used per square foot of building space.
- kBtu = One thousand British thermal units. A British thermal unit is the amount of energyneeded to cool or heat one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. New Hampshire buildings may use oil, propane, gas, wood or steam. By converting energy into British thermal units, Portfolio Manager allows us to compare buildings that are heated by different sources.
- Site Energy Use Vs. Source Energy Use
You’re probably already familiar with site energy, which is the amount of heat and electricity consumed by a building as reflected in your utility bills. Looking at site energy can help you understand how the energy use for an individual building has changed over time.
EPA has determined that source energy is the most equitable unit of evaluation. Source energy represents the total amount of raw fuel that is required to operate the building. It incorporates all transmission, delivery, and production losses. By taking all energy use into account, the score provides a complete assessment of energy efficiency in a building.
For more information on site energy use vs. source energy use.
How Benchmarking & Tracking Energy Usage Benefits Towns
NH Fire Stations:
The following chart shows the amount
of energy used per square foot in 12
New Hampshire fire stations in 2013.
How does your town’s fire station compare?
NH Fire Stations:
The following chart shows the amount
of energy used per square foot in 12
New Hampshire fire stations in 2013.
How does your town’s fire station compare?
Benchmarking Resources
- Portfolio Manager: Guide for Current Users
- New Hampshire Handbook on Energy Efficiency & Climate Change, Volume II – Revised August 2009 - Provides an excellent overview of the benchmarking or energy inventory process as well as other elements of a "roadmap" to energy reductions in your town.
- Energy Star Webinars (free but registration required)
- The in's and out's of energy benchmarking from EPA's website.
- New Hampshire Handbook on Energy Efficiency & Climate Change (Volume II – Revised August 2009), beginning at page 13 for a great overview on the process of conducting a benchmarking inventory and how to collect data.
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Local Energy Solutions Work Group
We are here to provide guidance and resources to help local energy groups implement successful energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to make their communities more sustainable. NHEnergy.org and Local Energy Solutions are coordinated by Clean Energy NH. 
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