IS ENERGY
BENCHMARKING
CAUSING
INEFFICIENCY?
by Drew Hamrick
W
hile making multifamily housing more energy effi cient
sounds like a laudable goal, the truth is that it comes
with serious unintended consequences, including
making housing less energy effi cient and taxing Colorado’s most
vulnerable residents.
How could this be?
The typical regulatory concept measures energy consumption in
multifamily units, fi nds a way to compare the effi ciency of those units,
publicizes those comparisons so that consumers can make smart energy
choices, and imposes a fee or tax on multifamily housing units that don’t
meet minimum energy effi ciency mandates.
The fi rst problem stems from a fl awed methodology for rating
effi ciency, the EPA’s Energy Star rating. In comparing the
effi ciency of diff erent multifamily units, this rating adjusts
for overall square footage, number of bedrooms, fl oor
height in a high-rise, and climate ratings of locations
across the country.
While this makes sense on the surface, it
neglects the most critical factor in a housing
unit’s energy consumption: how intensely
is it used. There is no adjustment for
number of occupants, which is the
most important variable in energy
usage.
*This image represents the energy effi cient rating scale that Energy Star
uses to measure energy consumption and performance levels