EPA unveils ENERGY STAR Tenant Space recognition program

In early October, the US EPA unveiled a new program, ENERGY STAR Tenant Space. The new program was introduced as a way to recognize sustainability efforts in leased office spaces. Tenants will use Portfolio Manager to assess their space against criteria such as estimating energy use, metering tenant-controlled energy loads, meeting lighting efficiency requirements, using efficient equipment, and sharing energy data with their landlord upon request.

Office spaces that apply sustainable and energy efficient design and operating practices experience lower utility bills and fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Tenant-occupied spaces play a major role in measuring and improving the energy efficiency of office buildings.

In order to apply for ENERGY STAR Tenant Space recognition, your leased office space must:

• Be a general administrative office, financial office, or non-diagnostic medical office; the office space may include a data center
• Represent all the usable office square footage in your building
• Be located in the United States

What is a tenant space? A tenant space encompasses all of the space a tenant occupies in your building, whether contiguous or not.

Examples of some tenant spaces provided by the EPA in a recent webinar

Have an eligible tenant office space? Here are the recognition criteria for your application:

• Estimate energy use: Understanding energy use allows you to identify actions that make the biggest impact.
• Meter: Tenants must meter the building energy that they’re responsible for. After all, you can’t manage what you don’t measure.
• Light efficiently: Lighting is a major energy consumer and also one of the most cost-effective efficiency upgrades that can be implemented. Your tenants must meet a lighting energy use target to qualify for recognition.
• Use efficient equipment: Modern, updated equipment draws less energy and reduces plug loads. Your tenants will need to provide a procurement policy for energy efficient equipment.
• Share data with landlord (as requested): Your tenant data may enable whole-building benchmarking and support strategic investment in energy performance, as well as often being required for compliance with local ordinances, laws, and mandates.

How do you apply?

1. Add Tenant Space in your ENERGY STAR Portfolio manager account
2. Access the Tenant Tool
3. Generate an applicate for Tenant Space Recognition
4. Have a Licensed Professional conduct a site visit to verify the information in your application
5. Complete and submit your online application to the EPA

Buildings that incorporate sustainability and energy efficiency in their design and operations are inherently more attractive to potential tenants. These practices display a commitment to environmentally friendly business practices and showcase your dedication to reducing your property's environmental impact. Tenants who earn the ENERGY STAR Tenant Space recognition will be displayed on the ENERGY STAR website, providing you with another channel through which you can market your building’s efficient and sustainable practices.

Chris Ogletree

In his role as Marketing Manager, Chris oversees website administration & development of a wide range of content, including email campaigns, social media, & marketing collateral, as well as supporting improvements to the design & functionality of the platform.

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