Climate change is an issue that is shaping how buildings are retrofitted and operated. Reducing its impact is the impetus behind many state and local environmental policies, and among those is the push to mandate energy use in buildings. These “benchmarking” ordinances require building owners to track their energy consumption. Cities such as St. Paul, Chicago, Denver, and Austin have all passed benchmarking requirements to reduce commercial energy usage.

As we navigate new information daily about Covid-19, building managers are tasked with finding safe ways to reopen facilities. And the clock is ticking with buildings that are scheduled to reopen in early fall, adding pressure to use current CDC guidelines to assuage the threat of a disease that is not fully understood.

Building and energy managers sometimes focus on energy-saving strategies to the point that occupants' comfort is sacrificed. But through careful planning and the right tools, building operators can achieve energy benchmarking goals and still keep customers, employees, and other occupants safe and comfortable. 

Facility and retail building managers have specific challenges in managing energy for multiple locations. Building data management, if collected correctly, can inform decisions on where to maximize operational efficiencies, how to reduce costs, and how to optimize energy performance. 

Buildings are not designed to be shut down for months. When reopening any building to employees and customers, facility managers need to follow ASHRAE, government, and state guidance on how to prepare and maintain buildings for the immediate future.