Is ENERGY STAR Certification the same as local building benchmarking reporting?

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No, but the process is similar. ENERGY STAR Certification is a voluntary certification program offered by the U.S. EPA (and Natural Resources Canada) that recognizes eligible buildings that have an ENERGY STAR Score of 75 or above. It is separate from any local building energy efficiency ordinances that building owners may be required to comply with by their state or local government.

EPA's ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager web tool is used to collect and submit building energy efficiency data for both EPA's voluntary ENERGY STAR Certification and the reporting required by state and local governments. The exact guidelines for meeting local benchmarking requirements can vary from what is required for ENERGY STAR Certification, though. See State and Local Ordinance Rules vs. EPA Guidelines

Building owners who have benchmarked their building for a state or local ordinance and received a score of 75 or above might also be able to apply for and receive ENERGY STAR Certification for their property. See I benchmarked my property, now what?

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