Frequently Asked Questions

Does this ordinance apply to me?

If your building is larger than 25,000 square feet and is in the City of Detroit, this ordinance applies to you. To find out more about your building, please use the Detroit Building ID lookup tool.

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I am a building owner. How does this ordinance benefit me?

• Reducing Green House Gases (GHGs) in the city will benefit everyone.
• Benchmarking has been proven to reduce energy waste.
• Reduce your monthly bill and lowering operating costs.
• Benchmarking is a precondition for all energy efficiency projects, awards and grants

Are there any resources to help me reach compliance?

Resources are on the How to Benchmark page. You can also find directions on compliance in the Benchmarking Resource Guide.

What will be published on the transparency map?

The transparency map will show compliance status to the ordinance, building size, and building age/date built. 

My building is a multifamily property or condo. Am I still required to comply?

You are required to report your building's energy and water usage. 

My building is in an historic district. Am I still required to comply?

You are required to report your building's energy and water usage.

What information do I need to know about my building?

1. To set up any building in Energy Star Portfolio Manager, you will need to know your buildings property type, total square footage, and the year it was built. You can use the ENERGY STAR data collection worksheet to find what information you need based on your specific building type.
2. To access utility data, you will need your account and meter numbers.
3. More information on what you need can be found on the Compliance Checklist.

Is there a penalty if I do not report my data to the city?

Yes, there will be a fine issued for buildings that do not comply by the annual reporting deadline. Per Sec.8-15-582 (b) of the Ordinance, failure to comply with any of the provisions as determined by the Director, "such Director shall deem the non-compliance a blight violation and issue a blight violation notice". 

Is there a penalty if I fail to reduce my energy usage?

There are no penalties under this ordinance if you fail to reduce your energy or water consumption.

How will benchmarking help me reduce my energy use?

Benchmarking your energy and water will help you identify if you have reduced or increased your energy and water use, year over year. Energy reduction comes from implementing building upgrades, retrofits and best practices. Connect to your local green building counsel for more information.

Is there an automatic data connection that I can use to upload my data to Energy Star Portfolio Manager?

Yes, the DTE Data hub can automate the upload of your usage for your buildings into Energy Star Portfolio Manager. Step 3.1 in the Benchmarking Resource Guide shows the process to enroll in the DTE Data hub.

How do I access my steam data?

Step 3.3 in the Benchmarking Resource Guide shows the process to request your steam data from Detroit Thermal.

How do I access my water data?

Step 3.2 in the  Benchmarking Resource Guide shows the process to request your Water data from Detroit Water and Sewage Department.

How do I access my electric and gas data?

Step 3.1 in the Benchmarking Resource Guide shows the process to request your Energy data from DTE.

Policy: How did this ordinance come about?

This ordinance has been developed over the last four years by the Energy Waste Reduction sub-committee of the Detroit City Counsel Green Task force.  The Green Task Force is a group of City Counsel members, community leaders, citizens and environmental experts that advises Detroit City Council on sustainable principles and practices to better serve the City of Detroit. 

The ordinance was developed through years of engagement with stakeholders, including building owners, facility managers, peer cities, and policy makers. Surveys, meetings and research has been conducted to draft and pass this ordinance.

Is my data safe with the City of Detroit?

The City will only be able to read utility data uploaded into Energy Star Portfolio Manager. 

What is Energy Star Portfolio Manager?

Energy Star Portfolio Manager is the EPA's tool that enables you to benchmark the energy use of any building, all in a secure online environment. Nearly 25% of U.S. commercial building space is already actively benchmarking in Portfolio Manager, making it the industry-leading benchmarking tool. It also serves as the national benchmarking tool in Canada.

Energy Star’s site has information on how to use Energy Star Portfolio Manager, including training, how-to guides, webinars, and slide libraries.
Other important resources from Energy Star about Benchmarking Ordinance Compliance:
Data collection worksheet
Basics of Benchmarking | Complying with Ordinances
A Beginner’s Guide to Using Portfolio Manager for Benchmarking Law Compliance

Is there a deadline for compliance?

Yes. Compliance must be met for 100k square feet buildings by October 1st, 2024. The compliance deadline for buildings over 25k square feet is June 1st, 2025.

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

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How do I connect my Energy Star Portfolio Manager account to the City of Detroit?

• Look up your property on the lookup tool to find your Detroit Building ID. Use this Detroit Building ID in your Energy Star Portfolio Manager profile.
• Add your Detroit Building ID
  • Find your Detroit Building ID for your covered property using the Lookup tool
  • On the property page, select Details
  • On the left side, under Unique Identifiers (IDs), select Edit. 
  • Under Standard ID(s), enter the following information.
    • NAME: Detroit Building ID
    • ID: [Your Detroit Building ID]
• Now, you must connect to the City of Detroit.
  • Click Contacts in the upper right-hand of the screen. The directory shows your current list of contacts.
  • Click Add Contact.
  • Search for Detroit Benchmarking Reporting and connect.

How do I report my annual usage data to the city?

Step-by-step directions are available in the  Benchmarking Resource Guide.

You are required to submit your benchmarking report within ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.

• Complete the 2024 Contact Information Form to receive updates on benchmarking your building.
• Create your property profile in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. 
• Make sure your property is identified to the City of Detroit by finding your building’s Detroit Building ID using the look-up tool.

Now, connect to the City of Detroit in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. 

• Click Contracts in the upper right-hand of the screen. The directory shows your current list of contacts.
• Click Add Contact.
• Search for Detroit Benchmarking Reporting and connect

Use the data quality checker on Energy Star Portfolio Manager to ensure there are no errors in your data.

Sharing your property with the City of Detroit

• Select the Sharing Tab
• Click Share with your Utility or Service Provider for Exchanging Data
• Select the properties you want to share from the drop-down menu
• Select Detroit Benchmarking Reporting
• Select Bulk Sharing (Simple Option) and Exchange Data Full Access (with full access to all properties and meters)

Once you have received an email from the City confirming the receipt of your data, you have successfully reported for that year.

Can a building that is under 100k sq ft report to the city in the first year?

Yes,  you can. Follow the steps to compliance, as described in the Benchmarking Resource Guide. You can find your Detroit Building ID using the Detroit building ID look up tool, or using the base units map.

Can a building that is under 25k sq ft report to the city?

Yes,  you can. Follow the steps to compliance, as described in the Benchmarking Resource Guide. You can find your Detroit Building ID using the Detroit building ID look up tool, or using the base units map.

Need Additional help?

Send questions via the Benchmarking Help Desk

Reach out to: [email protected]

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