Open Data DC – Utilities Benchmarking Portal
The Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008, requires buildings to benchmark energy and water use through the methodology provided by the Energy Star Portfolio Manager. The benchmarking requirement was further strengthened with the passage of the Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS), under the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act of 2018 which requires buildings over 50,000 square feet to demonstrate a minimum level of energy efficiency to meet BEPS by demonstrating annual compliance with performance standards through the established Energy Benchmarking program.
DGS-SE is responsible for monitoring and certifying energy and utility use for all 77 government agencies. The utilities and associated bills include building electricity, natural gas, water, and stormwater, as well as waste management and recycling. Also included are utility bills from solar photovoltaic systems installed on District-owned facilities. The acquisition, analysis, and dissemination of data related to utility use in properties owned and leased the District is a critical component of DGS-SE’s energy conservation and cost reduction measures.
Utility Tracking Portal – Open Data DC
DGS-SE’s Utility Tracking Portal, hosted on Open Data DC, is an interactive platform for exploring the building portfolio, with a focus on building energy performance. The portal was developed with public transparency in mind, giving the public access to easily digestible information that tracks historical and real-time data. The portal integrates data from a variety of sources: interval data, utility bills, meters, weather stations, analytical engines, building automation systems, contractor reports, maintenance reports, solar photovoltaic systems, and more.
In addition to building-by-building utility data, the portal also highlights energy efficiency projects across the District. It serves as an essential tool used as a basis for data-driven decision making in other DGS-SE energy management programs. The portal also maintains information on other building attributes such as name, address, usage type, square footage that can capture historical and real-time data used to generate data visualizations for analysis. With the data and analytical tools in hand, building managers can better respond to anomalies, retrofits can be scoped and monitored with precision, and occupants can see their energy use (and savings) virtually in real-time. More importantly, operational efficiencies, specifically, energy use during non-occupied periods, can be easily identified and addressed.
DGS Utility Data Site - Open Data DC
The capture, analysis, and dissemination of data related to utility use in properties owned and leased by the District of Columbia is a critical component of DGS-SE’s energy conservation and cost reduction measures.
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Awards
- C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group Green Energy Award, 2015
- US Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Leadership Award
- DC Named First LEED Platinum City in the World
- League of American Bicyclists, Gold Community