Occupy Space Efficiently

Save energy, save money, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Don’t miss out on these benefits of efficiency, no matter how much space you lease.

Track your energy use and share your data

EPA found that organizations that regularly measure and track their energy performance achieve greater energy savings than organizations that don’t. If you have sub-meters installed but don’t track energy use in your leased space, there’s a good chance you’re missing opportunities to save both energy and money.

EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager can help; it’s an easy-to-use online tool for tracking your energy use and verifying improvements. Here are a few resources to get you started:

• Portfolio Manager Quick Start Guide
• Portfolio Manager Training

Be sure to talk to your landlord about energy benchmarking. Sharing the energy data for your space could help the building achieve or maintain ENERGY STAR certification.

If your space does not have sub-meters, consider installing them so you can learn how much energy your lighting, computers, and other equipment is using, and measure improvements.

Earn Recognition: ENERGY STAR Tenant Space

ENERGY STAR Tenant Space is an EPA recognition for sustainability efforts in your leased office space. Energy efficient office spaces can lead to lower utility bills and fewer greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere. Does your organization lease office space within a multi-tenant building? Earn recognition for your sustainability efforts! Here are the steps to earning ENERGY STAR Tenant Space recognition:

1. Estimate energy use: Understanding your energy use helps identify actions you can take to make the biggest impact. 
2. Meter: You can’t manage what you don’t measure!  Tenants must meter the energy they are responsible for in the building.
3. Light efficiently: Lighting is a major user and one of the most cost-effective upgrades. Tenants will need to meet a lighting energy use target to qualify for recognition.
4. Use efficient equipment: Upgrading equipment reduces the large energy draw from plug loads.  Tenants will need to provide an energy efficient equipment procurement policy.
5. Share data with the landlord (if requested): Your data may enable whole building benchmarking, which supports strategic investment in energy performance and is often needed for compliance with local laws and mandates.

• Learn more about how to apply for ENERGY STAR Tenant Space
• See a list of all ENERGY STAR Tenant Spaces

Engage your landlord

Landlords are often eager to collaborate on projects that will make the building as a whole more efficient and valuable, and increase the chances that a good tenant will renew its lease. You may even find that the landlord already has an energy and sustainability program to support your initiatives.

Reaching out to the property management team is usually a good place to start.

Read real-life examples

• Learn how the JLL management team at the Aon Center in Chicago created a sustainability committee in partnership with their tenants.
• Learn how Bridgepoint education collaborated with its landlord, Kilroy Realty, to install high efficiency equipment, saving almost $40,000 per year with less than a two-year payback.