Madison, Wisconsin, may require owners of larger commercial and apartment buildings to publicly report energy performance or face fines. The benchmarking ordinance is under consideration by legislative committees, but has generated opposition from some businesses, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
Measuring a building’s annual energy performance could bring higher property values and make buildings more marketable, proponents say. The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce and others oppose the proposal.
The proposal would require benchmarking for city-owned and commercial buildings larger than 15,000 square feet, and perhaps residential rental properties with 35 or more units. Boston and other cities have proposed similar ordinances.
Owners must record energy trends, enter data into free software from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that creates a score based on energy performance compared to buildings of similar size, type and region, and report results to the city annually. Every three years, data must be verified by a certified energy professional. Failure to comply would result in fines from $50 to $250 a day.
