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B3 Benchmarking Newsletter |
In this newsletter:
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Updated Improvements Tab
| More organizations are setting goals to reduce energy and water usage, costs, and carbon. The Improvements tab has been updated to bring those targets front and center. If an organization has not yet set any B3 targets, B3 Potential Savings will be the default. Users can create and define a new default target if desired. In addition to reporting historical performance, B3 will now also analyze the most recent 12 months of data to project future usage, costs, and carbon. As actuals are entered, those projections will adjust. |  |
| To improve the ability to define targets, the Target Editor wizard has been enhanced. In the initial step, users decide if they want a relative or absolute target, and what to measure. For relative targets, be sure to specify + for expected increases and – for expected savings. Absolute targets can now be entered as monthly or annual usage. There is also a new target dashboard widget which users can configure. |  |
| To take advantage of the new projection functionality, the Event Editor has also been enhanced. Events can be scheduled in the future, to help analyze and plan for anticipated impacts on usage and to ascertain if targets are achievable. Expected changes can be entered as % or factors. As with relative targets, be sure to specify + for expected increases and – for expected savings. |  |
Where Did That Go…
Metrics – B3 Benchmark Tab
| The site End Use Breakdown that used to be on the Improvements tab is now located and aligned with the Benchmark metrics. The top panel highlights usage and savings by source, whereas the End Use Breakdown, now below, focuses on usage and savings by end use opportunities.
Click the end use columns to update the graphic to reflect the corresponding values. Also note, the backend energy simulation tool has been updated to the latest version of NEO. This may cause some benchmark metrics to change slightly. Adjustments have also been implemented to cap the min/max of building square footage, occupant counts, and irrigated areas. Any building impacted by the cap will see a warning noting the issue. |
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Reports Tab
| When you run a report, you can save it to Snapshot Reports by clicking the camera icon in the upper right. Instead of having to go to the Improvements tab, those snapshots are displayed and linked within the Reports tab. Any uploaded Archived Documents are now also housed at the bottom of the Reports tab. |  |
Building Editor – Other – Identifiers Tab
| If your program or portfolio utilizes the Statewide ID and/or EDA Project Number to identify sites and buildings, those fields have moved from the Building Systems tab to the Identifiers tab, where the other IDs are managed. |  |
B3 Peer Rating
| Since the B3 Peer is based off a site’s B3 Benchmark Index Ratio, there may be shifts to a site’s B3 Peer Rating due to updates to the latest backend modeling version. The B3 Peer comparison algorithm has also been enhanced to draw from a wider peer pool. The B3 Peer still defaults to finding peers based on similar space usages, but users can now decide to compare based on building type. Note, a building may be designated as one type, but contain spaces not typical for that type. For example, a city hall building type might also have spaces to support a library and police station. |  |
Meter Premise Numbers
| If your utility company utilizes premise numbers to identify meters, that column can now be added to your Meters list. By going into the Tools menu and selecting User Settings, you can toggle on Show Premise Column in Meter List on the Options tab. |  |
Peak Demand Reporting
| Demand costs can be anywhere from 30-70% of electric bills. To help identify particularly high months, B3 displays and reports on the peak demand at both the monthly and annual levels. If a site has more than one demand meter, B3 will distinguish by identifying the meter name in the mouseover.
Exporting the monthly and annual usage to Excel will now also identify which meter reported the highest monthly peak. |
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