Chicago building owners:

What is Chicago's Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance?

Chicago's Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance requires all commercial, residential, and government buildings larger than 50,000 square feet to annually track whole-building energy use, verify data accuracy, and report to the City. The law covers over 900 million square feet (sq ft) of real estate, the second highest of all U.S. cities with comparable laws.

Purpose

This ordinance is a key component of Sustainable Chicago 2015, a three-year action plan to make Chicago a more sustainable, livable city. It is part of a focused effort to unlock significant energy savings in Chicago’s 500,000 buildings.

Does it impact me?

If you own a residential, commercial, or municipal building with 50,000 square feet or more, you must begin tracking and reporting your energy consumption according to the City’s compliance deadlines. Verification of data by a licensed professional is required every three years.

What are the deadlines?

June 1 of each year

What are the fines?

Violators of the ordinance may be subject to a fine of up to $100 for the first violation, and an additional fine of up to $25 for each day that the violation continues.

How do I comply?

Building owners must report their energy usage data to EPA’s Portfolio Manager, a reporting tool that allows building owners to compare their building’s energy efficiency with similar buildings.

WegoWise provides Chicago building owners with hands-free compliance by interfacing with Portfolio Manager and completing all aspects of the reporting process.