Montgomery County Energy Benchmarking Compliance
Are you a property owner or manager in Montgomery County? Stay informed about the significant regulatory change in 2024—the Benchmarking and Performance Standards Law. If you’ve received the “Energy Benchmarking Compliance Required” letter for your building, you’re in the right place.
Annual Deadline: June 1st
Penalties for Non-Compliance: $500 per day for initial offense and $750 per day for repeat offenses, from the deadline up until the energy benchmarking report is submitted to DEP.
Financial Incentives: Take advantage of incentives offered by the Montgomery County Green Bank (MCGB) to support your benchmarking and verification expenses. Partnering with a Technical Assistance Verified Provider like Honeydew Energy Advisors makes you eligible for a $1,500 incentive for both benchmarking and verification services in the initial compliance year.
Learn how to claim the $1,500 towards your energy benchmarking expenses.
Ensure Compliance with Ease
Don’t let the complexities of mandated energy benchmarking stress you out. Reach out to us at Honeydew Energy Advisors, and let our experienced team handle everything for you. We’re currently benchmarking hundreds of buildings in different municipalities, and we take our work seriously because we understand how crucial it is to have an accurate depiction of your building’s efficiency.
We’ll ensure your building is in compliance well before the deadline, saving you time and avoiding costly penalties. Contact us today to claim your $1,500 incentive!
Why Choose Us?
- Certified Energy Manager (CEM) Certified
- Energy Star Partner
- Montgomery County Green Bank Technical Assistance Verified Provider
- Currently benchmarking hundreds of buildings in DC and Montgomery County
- Close collaboration with Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) staff
- Proven track record of submitting energy benchmarking and verification reports to the City/County/State ahead of deadlines
- Competitive energy benchmarking fees
What is Energy Benchmarking?
All data must be entered through Energy Star’s Portfolio Manager, which is facilitated through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This software requires you to identify various aspects of your property, including:
- Property type
- Gross floor area
- Number of workers/residents
- Appliance Information
- Hours of Operation
- Other attributes depending on the property type.
It then requires you to enter usage data for electric, natural gas, and water. Once this information is entered, the platform rates your property based on all other similar properties in the database – adjusting for climate zone. This rating is called an Energy Star Score and is scored 1 to 100, with 100 meaning your property is in the top percentile of efficiency compared to similar building types, sizes, etc. As such, your score can go down even if your building remains the same, if the average building in the data set becomes more efficient.
What Buildings are Required to Comply?
Under Montgomery County’s (MoCo) Benchmarking and Performance Standards Law, Montgomery County Code Sections 18A-38A to 18A-43B, residential and non-residential buildings that are 25,000 gross square feet and greater must benchmark and report building profile and energy data to the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) each year using Energy Star Portfolio Manager (ESPM). The Benchmarking and Performance Standards Law requires every building subject to benchmarking to benchmark, verify and report their latest calendar year’s energy use data (energy data starting from 2022 for buildings 250,000 sq ft or greater and 2023 for buildings 25,000 sq ft or greater) to DEP by June 1st annually.
Please contact Honeydew Energy Advisors to check if your building is on Montgomery County’s Covered Building List. Buildings over 25,000 sq ft that are not listed are still obligated to submit reports to the DEP.
Honeydew’s Energy Benchmarking Process
- Assessment: Honeydew starts with a comprehensive evaluation of your property to determine specific Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (MoCo DEP) compliance needs.
- Data Collection & Analysis: Utilizing ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager®, Honeydew gathers and analyzes your building’s energy and water usage data.
- Data and GFA Verifications: Every 3 years following the initial benchmarking requirement date, Honeydew conducts on-site data and GFA verification to ensure your report meets MoCo DEP standards before submission.
- Report Submission: Honeydew ensures your benchmarking report is accurately prepared and submitted, meeting all MoCo DEP compliance deadlines.
- Continuous Support: From securing your MoCo DEP Building ID to optimizing your property’s efficiency post-reporting, Honeydew is here for you every step of the way.
Testimonials
What Our Energy Benchmarking Clients Are Saying
“The Honeydew team deals with something on a daily basis that everyone wishes they had time to learn and understand: navigating the complex world of energy regulation and helping make properties more energy efficient. Benchmarking lies at the foundation of this process and they have streamlined these once daunting tasks greatly for the 50+ properties we manage that are subject to these requirements.”
“It is a pleasure working with the Honeydew Energy Advisors Team. They are excellent at all things benchmarking and very quick to respond to any concerns.”
“It is a pleasure working with the Honeydew Energy Advisors Team. They are excellent at all things benchmarking and very quick to respond to any concerns.”
“When it comes to energy and utility issues for our property management company, Honeydew are our go to guys. They currently provide benchmarking services for more than a hundred of the communities we manage. Despite some challenging cases, we have had no issues filing the reports in on time with 100% accuracy.”
“Easy to work with and always professional. They make the benchmarking process a walk in the park. Highly recommend them!”
Work with Us!
If you are a property manager, building owner, or association member who could use a hand with benchmarking requirements, Honeydew Energy Advisors is here to help by offering assistance with clear, competitive fees. Our experienced team has a great working relationship with DEP’s staff, can manage all necessary reporting and communication with DEP, and guide you through each stage of the process.