http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/bldgs/provdrs/ inspect/svcs/life_safety_high-riseordinance.html

CHICAGO ENERGY BENCHMARKING ORDINANCE

In September 2013, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago’s city council adopted a building Energy Benchmarking Ordinance to raise awareness of energy performance through information and transparency, with the goal of unlocking energy and cost savings opportunities for businesses and residences. The ordinance goal is to inform building owners of the amount of energy the building uses, and to highlight potential areas where energy and cost savings can be realized as maintenance or improvements to the building are performed. The ordinance does not require buildings to improve energy efficiencies, but is designed to document the benchmarking data on building energy usage. This ordinance applies to all existing municipal, commercial and residential buildings of 50,000-square-feet or larger and requires buildings to report annually with data verified every three years by a licensed architect, professional engineer or other trained professionals designated by the city of Chicago.

Deadlines for energy benchmarking audits have been set:

June 1, 2014: municipal and commercial buildings 250,000 square feet and larger.

June 1, 2015: municipal and commercial buildings 50,000 square feet or larger and residential buildings 250,000 square feet or larger.

June 1, 2016: municipal, commercial and residential buildings over 50,000 square feet or larger.

This new ordinance focuses on saving resources and avoiding high costs of gas, electricity and water. Specific areas where Klein and Hoffman has found many opportunities for improvements for clients’ buildings include window repairs/replacements and re-roofing with added insulation.

Other areas that can have energy saving influence are replacing weather stripping, installing water saving plumbing fixtures, and using energy efficient lighting. More information on this ordinance is at

http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/progs/env/building- energy-benchmarking---transparency.html

Plan to comply

with these three city ordinances, as the city

of Chicago is rigorously enforcing them!

Building owners should begin by hiring a qualified licensed architect or professional engineer to perform physical inspections and document repairs required to meet city building codes. These reports are filed with the city and serve as protection for building owners, occupants and the public. Through this process, building owners can learn more about the newest requirements and stay informed about best practices enforced in the city of Chicago.

Owners and managers must file reports with the city as soon as possible to avoid penalties; make sure to keep copies of

reports in the building with an action plan for repairs.

In the first quarter, 2015, it is important to verify all buildings’ status. Plan to comply with these three city ordinances, as the city of Chicago is rigorously enforcing them.

54 | COMMON INTEREST®

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