Denver, CO: Energy performance

Better Buildings Challenge Partners strive to decrease portfolio-wide source energy use intensity (EUI) and to increase the percent improvement compared to a set baseline. Denver's portfolio consists of more than 150 buildings and 7 million square feet. In 2019, 6 buildings in the portfolio received the ENERGY STAR Certification. Since 2011, Denver has improved energy performance by 10%. Energy savings have been achieved by implementing various capital improvements, retro-commissioning in numerous properties including five of the City's largest energy users, and creating a culture of efficiency.

Looking at the percent improvement in energy performance across all properties can provide insight into how an organization is saving energy. Denver has achieved energy performance improvement of greater than 10% at 52 of its properties. There are 49 properties that have experienced an increase in Source EUI. Some of these have recently expanded hours as a result of the improved economy and some were affected by increased natural gas use in conjunction with adverse weather at the beginning of 2019. We will continue to work with these properties to identify opportunities to improve efficiency.

Property-level energy performance metrics, including EUI and percent improvement to date, are critical to track progress over time and identify opportunities for additional energy savings. Denver's portfolio consists of properties with a wide range of baseline EUI values, most of which are from 100 to 300 kBtu/sq. ft. The majority of properties have shown energy improvement since 2011. The properties located near or below the 0% axis may present good opportunities for further savings and will be looked at in the coming year.