Data quality is important when communicating publicly about the energy usage of buildings, as it plays an integral role in a city’s ability to measure, track, and report progress in meeting energy, sustainability, climate, or other public goals.

Energy data spurs decision making and helps building owners, managers, and operators improve energy use. In this report the use of scorecards on building energy use, is under the microscope. The key tactics and city examples provided, shine a light on how to share energy performance data to motivate action on building energy efficiency.

Benchmarking data helps a city document the effectiveness of its policy implementation and impact. It provides summary information about public and private buildings, documenting trends in energy and water performance, and is the foundation for information to share with stakeholders.