A two-year study of more than 550 multifamily homes across Minnesota found that benchmarking is feasible and the act of doing so can cut energy and water use significantly, according to Bright Power.
Bright Power, which ran the two-year EnergyScoreCards Minnesota study, released results in conjunction with several Minnesota entities. Key findings are that an average of 5 percent savings on energy and 30 percent on water were realized in master-metered buildings receiving the EnergyScoreCards when compared to a control group.
The study found that benchmarking is feasible at scale in Minnesota. Building owners use the information to prioritize energy efficiency investments, improve building operations and deliver high quality housing to customers, according to Bright Power.
This summer, utility companies Pepco and the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) awarded contracts to Energesco Solutions to provide energy efficiency and water conservation upgrades to multifamily properties in their Maryland footprints. The contracts were awarded under the Commercial Multifamily Program, an energy rebate program that supports the EmPOWER Maryland initiative.
