Alternative Utility Services announces no-cost benchmarking services for all its contracted energy clients

As energy benchmarking and disclosure ordinances expand, Alternative Utility Services is offering benchmarking services at no-cost to its contracted commercial energy clients.

August 19, 2013 – Alternative Utility Services (AUS), a national energy and sustainability consulting firm, has announced it is offering energy benchmarking services to all of its contracted commercial energy clients, at no cost. This free benchmarking service from AUS is of significant importance in cities with benchmarking and disclosure ordinances.

Several cities and two states currently have ordinances requiring building owners to track and report their properties’ energy use. The list includes California, Washington State, Washington DC, Austin, Portland, Boston, New York City, Boulder, Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Minneapolis. Chicago’s benchmarking ordinance has been placed on hold at least until September and may be added to the list.

Benchmarking provides important baseline data to assess a building’s energy use. The information gathered is used to establish future goals for projects to improve energy efficiency such as demand response, automated energy management systems and lighting upgrades. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, buildings that are benchmarked consistently, over time save an average of 7% in energy.

“The laws and compliance requirements vary from one city to the other,” said Fritz Kreiss, President of Alternative Utility Services. “By offering no-cost benchmarking service to our contracted clients, we ensure their building performance reports are completed on time with accuracy, avoiding any penalties on account of poor or inaccurate performance reports.”