Blog
The energy benchmarking blog.
Plain-English guides, compliance walkthroughs, and honest tool comparisons. Written by operators, for operators.
Benchmarking 101
What is energy benchmarking and why does your building need it?
A plain-English walkthrough of energy benchmarking: what it is, how the ENERGY STAR score is calculated, and why almost every major US city now requires it.
Site EUI vs Source EUI: which one matters?
Two numbers, two different stories. Here's exactly when to use each and why your ENERGY STAR score uses Source.
Utility data collection: 5 strategies that don't waste your week
From Green Button to direct utility API access to UtilityAPI brokers, here's how modern portfolios automate consumption-data collection.
Data center EUI benchmarking and why PUE isn't enough
Data centers have unique benchmarking challenges. Here's how to think about EUI, PUE, WUE, and CUE — and what compliance laws actually want.
Compliance
NYC Local Law 97 explained: what owners need to do by 2030
NYC's most consequential climate law sets hard CO₂ caps on every building over 25,000 sqft. Here's exactly how to comply, what the penalties are, and how to plan capex.
Boston BERDO 2.0: complete compliance guide for owners
Boston's Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance is one of the most aggressive in the country. Here's how to comply without overspending.
Energy benchmarking laws by US city: 2026 master list
Every US jurisdiction with a mandatory benchmarking ordinance, the filing deadline, the covered square-footage threshold, and the penalty.
LL97 penalty calculator: how to model your 2024–2034 exposure
A worked example using a real 200,000 sqft Manhattan office. Numbers, formulas, and what to do with the result.
Decarbonization
How to improve your ENERGY STAR score: the 10 highest-ROI moves
From re-commissioning to envelope upgrades, ranked by payback. The same playbook the best portfolio managers run every year.
Carbon accounting for real estate: Scope 1, 2, and 3 the simple way
GHG protocol basics for owners and operators, plus exactly which scopes the major reporting frameworks (GRESB, SBTi, CDP) ask for.
Comparisons
VertPro vs ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager: which should you actually use?
Both file your benchmarking. One is free and built by EPA. The other is paid and built by a vendor. The honest tradeoffs, with neither sponsoring this post.
Measurabl alternatives for mid-market owners (under 200 buildings)
Measurabl is best-in-class for institutional ESG. If you have 10–200 buildings, here's what the realistic alternatives look like.