A mechanical service provider serving the greater Philadelphia area, EMCOR Services Fluidics is a subsidiary of EMCOR Group Inc., a leader in mechanical and electrical construction, industrial and energy infrastructure, and facilities services.

Having performed hundreds of energy benchmarks to-date — for companies such as Liberty Property Trust, Brandywine Realty, and BPG Properties — Fluidics is continuing to help Philadelphia building owners not only meet the requirements of the new law, but also benefit from the benchmarking process by identifying energy saving opportunities.

The deadline to comply with the new benchmarking bill — by assembling and submitting energy and water use data for 2012 — is Oct. 31, 2013. Buildings that miss this date are subject to a $300 fine for the first month the data is late, and a $100/day penalty thereafter.

To complete benchmarking, Fluidics simply needs 12 months of utility bills, and some basic building information. A computer software program compiles the data and formats it to meet Philadelphia’s benchmarking requirements. If the building qualifies for Energy Star certification, an in-house team can also perform the Energy Star application and validation process. Energy Star certified buildings and plants are proven to meet strict energy performance standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the designation can be used as a marketing tool in a highly competitive leasing environment.

“While the mandate to compile, organize, and submit necessary benchmarking data might appear overly burdensome and expensive, the process can actually be done at a modest cost and can potentially result in significant cost savings,” said Edward Quinn, chairman and CEO, EMCOR Services Fluidics. “Benchmarking can be an opportunity for owners to gain a better understanding of their buildings’ energy usage and identify energy efficiency measures that might be implemented at minimal cost.”

As an example, Fluidics recently completed the benchmarking process for George F Kempf Supply Co., a distributor of building materials for contractors in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Its 260,000-square-foot headquarters in southwest Philadelphia at 5200 Grays Avenue includes 35,000 square feet of office space and 225,000 square feet of warehouse space. Benchmarking enabled the company to comply with the new Philadelphia law and determined that the building qualifies for Energy Star certification, since it received an Energy Star rating of 95 out of 100. Specific energy performance metrics were also identified that will enable the company to implement future energy efficiency measures to cut energy costs down the road.

For more information, visit www.emcorgroup.com.

Publication date: 9/16/2013

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