ProgramsEnergy Efficiency
Voluntary Energy Benchmarking
Building benchmarking compares a building’s energy and water performance against buildings of comparable use. The New Jersey Clean Energy Program offers a free and voluntary energy benchmarking program for buildings not covered by the mandatory benchmarking program.
Status
Active program
Schedule
Open year-round
Relevant Audiences
On this page
About the Program
Building benchmarking compares a building’s energy and water performance against buildings of comparable use. The New Jersey Clean Energy Program offers a free and voluntary energy benchmarking program for buildings not covered by the mandatory benchmarking program. Through the program, your monthly utility bills are submitted to a US Environmental Protection Agency database through a tool called Portfolio Manager. US EPA calculates a benchmark score of 1 to 100, 100 being the most efficient. By benchmarking and tracking the building performance over time, you can start to understand how to save on operational costs, attract better tenants, and increase the property value of the building.
Sample Reports
Through the benchmarking program, our program representatives will track and score your actual energy usage based on your industry type and provide a detailed report along with valuable information on implementing energy-efficient technologies, including available financial incentives to lower project costs. View the sample forms below for an example of the report you will receive.
Energy Benchmark Report Example - School BuildingEnergy Benchmark Example - Office BuildingProgram Process
Follow the process below to participate in the voluntary benchmarking program.
Benchmarking Forms
Municipal and Commercial Sector
- Energy Benchmark Electronic Application - Municipal and Commercial
- Energy Benchmarking Application - Municipal and Commercial (PDF)
Education Sector
- Energy Benchmark Electronic Application - Education
- Energy Benchmarking Application - Education (PDF)
Healthcare Sector
- Energy Benchmark Electronic Application - Healthcare
- Energy Benchmarking Application - Healthcare (PDF)
Multifamily Building
- Energy Benchmark Electronic Application - Multifamily
- Energy Benchmarking Application - Multifamily (PDF)
Utility Data Release Form
All participants must submit the utility data release form below:
Utility Data Release FormSector Descriptions
- Commercial
- Non-residential facilities that are commercially owned and operated such as office buildings, data centers, supermarkets, and retail facilities.
- Higher Education
- Colleges, universities, and community colleges granting two year, four year or graduate level degrees, medical schools, business colleges, and law schools. Higher education building types include administrative offices, classrooms, dorms, athletic facilities (excluding pools) and laboratories.
- Hospitality
- Lodging facilities such as hotels, motels, inns, extended stay locations, and full service restaurants. Cafeterias and fast food operations are not eligible.
- Healthcare
- Free-standing acute care and children's hospitals, and free-standing medical office buildings, including 24-hour, walk-in clinics.
- To qualify, the acute care hospital, children's hospital, and medical buildings must occupy at least 50% of the total healthcare property. Acute care and children's hospitals are facilities that typically provide a variety of services within the same building or among multiple buildings on a campus, including emergency medical care, physician's office services, diagnostic care, ambulatory care, and surgical care.
- Institutional
- Public, private, and non-profit entities including local government buildings, K-12 schools, houses of worship and facilities devoted to providing social services.
- Multifamily Building
- Residential buildings with 4-6 floors above ground that are equipped with a central heating/cooling system and any building with 7 or more floors (regardless of heating/cooling system type). Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis for buildings with less than 4 floors.