Energy Use Reporting Compliance
Austin Energy, the city owned electricity provider for the City of Austin and fourteen other municipalities within Travis, Hayes, and Williamson counties, currently has an annual energy audit reporting requirement for each commercial structure larger than 10,000 square feet or multifamily property consisting of five or more rental units. The stated purpose of the Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure (ECAD) reporting requirement is to provide the utility, commercial property owners, tenants, and prospective property buyers with historical energy use data for individual properties and leased units within a property. Audited properties with greater than 150% energy use per square foot within their property class are required to utilize corrective measures which lower energy consumption by 20% annually.
WHAT ARE THE ENERGY AUDIT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS?
Commercial properties: All commercial properties 10,000 square feet or greater in interior space are required annually to provide one year of energy audit to the utility prior to the June 1st reporting deadline.
Multifamily properties: All multifamily properties meeting the standard must submit an energy audit within ten years of their initial construction completion date, and at least once every ten years following their initial energy audit submission. Additionally, a copy of the most recent property energy audit must be posted in specified public areas and made available to each current and prospective tenant for each dwelling unit.
Some exemptions and variances may apply to individual properties. Penalties for required audit reporting non-compliance range from $500 to $2000 per property per annum.
HOW ARE ENERGY AUDITS REPORTED?
Energy audits must be completed and submitted to Austin Energy by either a registered building performance analyst or through continued reporting within a previously established, property specific Energy Star® reporting account.
The required audits include calculations and assessments of energy use based on building size and property type, measurement of the property’s carbon footprint, and comparison to other buildings in the reporting scheme. Additionally, each property is assigned a unique Building Owner Key Code which allows for confirmation of property information within the Austin Energy database.
HOW CAN VERTEX HELP?
VERTEX provides assistance with ECAD code compliance and data disclosure necessary for reporting energy use and building performance at their affected properties throughout the Austin Energy service area, as well as calculating and reporting building performance data required by other regional authorities throughout the United States.
To learn more about VERTEX’s Environmental Consulting services or to speak with an Environmental Expert, call 888.298.5162 or submit an inquiry.
