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Benchmarking and Certification during COVID-19

The year 2020 has brought upon unpresented times, but despite the challenges that this year has brought, benchmarking and certification of buildings continues. While continuing to keep people’s health and safety as a top priority, the ENERGY STAR certification process remains open.

Due to changes in operations due to COVID-19, it is important to update building profiles in Portfolio Manager to reflect those changes accordingly. This includes weekly operating hours and changes in the number of workers at a time. The application will require a detailed description of how the building’s operations have been impacted by COVID-19.

Regardless of the changes in operations, ENERGY STAR is accepting applications for 2020 certification through February 10, 2021. The decision of whether to apply now or wait for further guidance from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) depends on how building operations were impacted.

  1. If the application includes only time when the building was operating as normal (prior to the pandemic) and a site visit was conducted during normal operations, your application may be submitted now.

  2. If building operations were reduced in any significant way, it is recommended that you wait to apply until the EPA gives further guidance. Delaying the application process will decrease the likelihood of the application being placed on hold and edits needing to be made.

  3. In the case that you are unsure about how to proceed, you may contact us here at Maximum Energy Professionals, or the EPA
    (https://energystar-mesa.force.com/PortfolioManager/s/contactsupport).