ASHRAE, the developer of the Building Energy Quotient (bEQ) program, has released details on how the bEQ will work to help building owners and facility managers save energy and make the right choices. The Building Energy Quotient (bEQ) program assigns to buildings an energy usage quotient based on completion of an in-operation assessment that includes an ASHRAE Level I Energy Audit. A bEQ assessment is designed to provide a wealth of actionable information to improve building performance.
bEQ was introduced two years ago as a pilot program with the intent of providing an easily understood scale to convey a building’s energy use in comparison to similar buildings and climate zones, while also providing building owners with building-specific information that highlights potential energy saving opportunities. Under the program, buildings are eligible to receive an In Operation rating as long as the building has at least 12 months of consecutive energy use data.
“bEQ lets a commercial building owner zero in on opportunities to lower building operating cost and make informed decisions to increase value,” says Tom Phoenix, P.E., a consulting engineer in Greensboro, N.C., who chairs the bEQ committee.. “The ultimate goal of the program is to encourage more energy efficient buildings and give owners more control over rising energy costs.”
bEQ assessments are performed by an ASHRAE-Certified Building Energy Assessment Professional who will:
Perform a walk-through survey to become familiar with building construction, equipment, operation and maintenance.
Meet with the owner and operator to learn of special problems or planned improvements and operation or maintenance issues.
Complete a space function analysis and determine whether efficiency may be affected by functions that differ from the original functional intent of the building.
Identify low-cost/no-cost changes to the facility or to operations and maintenance procedures that will result from these changes with their approximate savings.
Provide a summary of special problems or needs including possible revisions to operations and maintenance procedures.
Recommend potential capital improvements and provide an estimate of potential costs and savings.
Registrants in the bEQ program also receive:
The bEQ In Operation Workbook of the complete building analysis.
The bEQ Certificate presenting key building performance factors for operations staff.
The bEQ Dashboard illustrating the level of In Operation performance.
The bEQ Plaque showing the building rating for public display.
