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Energy and Water Benchmarking Ordinance

1. GHG emissions reduction goal

30% decrease by 2024

50% decrease by 2034

80% decrease by 2050

2. Det buildings are 35% of GHG emitters

3. Benchmarking is the most data-driven method of identifying and tracking energy reduction. 

 

In November of 2023, City Council unanimously passed the Benchmarking Ordinance, requiring buildings with over 25,000 square feet of space to annually report their energy and water usage to the City.


Benchmarking buildings is a critical step in sustainability, as residential and commercial buildings. According to the 2023 Detroit Climate Strategy, they account for more than 35% of Greenhouse Gas emissions in the city of Detroit. That’s over 1/3 of emissions!

This ordinance aligns with the 2019 Detroit Sustainability Action Agenda, the 2023 Detroit Climate Strategy, the 2022 MI Healthy Climate Plan, and the 2016 UN Paris Agreement. 

The first step to reducing energy and water waste, and green house gas emissions is benchmarking energy and water usage.

Benchmarking and energy use tracking alone is a proven way to save energy! According to the American Cities Climate Challenge, buildings that benchmark their energy reduce their energy use by 7%.

Compliance Information​

When our buildings are energy efficient, owners and tenants will save money, businesses  will reduce operating costs, and  greenhouse gas emissions that threaten our air and climate will be reduced.​

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In order to gain these benefits across Detroit, we need to know how energy efficient buildings are performing and share that information with the community. This is why establishing an effective program to increase energy efficiency improvements in Detroit’s commercial and multifamily buildings is a priority. ​

City Council President
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City Council Pro Tem
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Your building's profile in Energy Star Portfolio Manager requires the Detroit Building ID to be considered "Complete."

You can find your Detroit Building ID by using this Look-up tool. 

In order to use this tool, you must know your building's Address (Parcel Address), or Parcel ID. 

The compliance due date for buildings over 100k square feet is October 1st, 2024.

The compliance due date for buildings over 25k square feet is June 1st, 2025.​

This ordinance requires annual reporting for all future years, with a due date of June 1st

The new City of Detroit benchmarking policy requires all municipal buildings, as well as commercial and multifamily buildings over 100,000 gross square feet (GSF) to annually report their energy and water usage, beginning in 2024. Commercial and multifamily buildings over 25,000 GSF but under 100,000 GSF will have to report their energy and water consumption data in 2025.

All reporting will be done through Energy Star Portfolio Manager, the EPA’s tool for benchmarking buildings.

Energy Star Portfolio Manager (ESPM) is the national standard for energy benchmarking reporting.

Reporting is done by:

  1. Building an ESPM profile for each building that requires compliance, including the Detroit Building ID
  2. Connecting your building profile to your utilities/populating your building's profile with energy and water usage
  3. Connecting your building profile to the City of Detroit in ESPM

Get started with Energy Star Portfolio Manager HERE or view our “How to Benchmark” page. 

When our buildings are energy efficient, owners and tenants will save money, businesses  will reduce operating costs, and  greenhouse gas emissions that threaten our air and climate will be reduced.

In order to gain these benefits across Detroit, we need to know how energy efficient buildings are performing and share that information with the community. This is why establishing an effective program to increase energy efficiency improvements in Detroit’s commercial and multifamily buildings is a priority. 

See our compliance checklist here!

See our How-To Benchmark Guide here!

In November of 2023, the Detroit City Counsel unanimously passed the Benchmarking Ordinance, requiring buildings with over 25,000 square feet of space to annually report their energy and water usage to the City.

This ordinance aligns with the 2019 Detroit Action Agenda, the 2023 Detroit Climate Strategy, the 2022 MI Healthy Climate Plan, and the 2016 UN Paris Agreement. 

The first step to improvement is measurement. Benchmarking energy and water usage is the first step to reducing energy and water waste, and green house gas emissions.

Benchmarking buildings is a massive step in sustainability, as residential and commercial buildings account for more than 35% of Greenhouse Gas emissions in the City of Detroit, according to the 2023 Detroit Climate Strategy. That’s over 1/3 of emissions in the City of Detroit!

Benchmarking and energy use tracking alone is a proven way to save energy! According to the EPA, buildings that benchmark their energy realize an average energy savings of 2.4% a year.