by cheristwg | Jun 12, 2025 | Articles
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B3 Benchmarking Newsletter
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In this newsletter:
- New Site Selection Mode
- Expanded User Settings
- Visualizations
- Other Updates
- B3-ENERGY STAR® Integration
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New Site Selection Mode
| The navigation ‘Tree Options’ has been expanded to allow the analysis of one or more specific sites. Each of the tabs: Dashboard, Data, Metrics, Visualizations, Improvements, and Reports, and Excel exports will only include the sites checked in the navigation tree.
Once Site Selection has been engaged, an asterisk (*) will display next to the organization name in the main window. This will identify that the organization is only reporting on a subset of sites. Go back into Tree Options to disengage site section and view and analyze the entire organization again. |
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Expanded User Settings
| With the expansion of the new waste module, we’ve added lots of new B3 users. Many of these new users are focused on things other than energy. To streamline their B3 experience, users can now select their default mode (Energy, Water or Waste), which will be selected when the user launches B3. Users can also select if they want decommissioned sites/buildings and disconnected meters to display by default. These and the other selectable settings influence how B3 launches for each user; views can be toggled with the tables as well. To access User Settings, click the Tools menu in the upper right corner and User Settings is towards the bottom. |
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Visualizations
A few of the noteworthy updates to Visualizations tab are:
- Reporting on mode toggles updated dropdown to single-click icons
- Native unit stacking when reporting on a mix of source types
- Standardizations to Water and Waste Visualization templates
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Other Updates
Some changes to meters and usage this round include:
- New ENERGY STAR Property Use Details for Fire Stations
- Support for ENERGY STAR Web Services v24
- Year over Year report enhanced to support parent organization level reporting
- CO2e factors updated to EPA’s 2023 values
- Support for new meter source type – Hydro Offsite (REC Sold)
- Rights modified so that view-only users cannot create targets or events
- Meter Reading Reminder email updated to include Water and Waste Data Quality sections when applicable
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B3 – ENERGY STAR Integration
With recent conversations and uncertainty surrounding the future of the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager®, we want to take a moment to offer clarity and confidence: B3 is not dependent on ENERGY STAR, and your benchmarking workflows are future-proof. Your data will remain in B3, accessible and usable by you! Read the full post here.
by cheristwg | Apr 24, 2025 | Articles
Understanding the 179D Tax Deduction
Section 179D of the Internal Revenue Code provides a valuable federal tax deduction for placing in service energy-efficient commercial building property (EECBP) for both new construction and building upgrades or energy-efficient building retrofit property (EEBRP) for existing building upgrades. Eligible improvements include upgrades to interior lighting systems, HVAC, hot water systems, and the building envelope.
Thanks to enhancements under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, there are now two pathways for 179D compliance.
- Traditional Pathway: Requires energy modeling based on ASHRAE standards
- Alternative (Measurement) Pathway (AMP): Relies on actual energy usage data, making it especially well-suited for existing building retrofits
Starting in 2025, qualifying projects can claim deductions of up to $5.81 per square foot. To be eligible, a building must achieve at least 25% site energy savings compared to its baseline, and retrofits must be placed in service on buildings that are at least five years old.
How B3 Benchmarking Supports 179D Compliance
For building owners aiming to leverage the Alternative (Measurement) Pathway and maximize 179D tax deductions, B3 Benchmarking offers a comprehensive and streamlined solution. As a powerful energy analysis and tracking tool, B3 provides the data insights and reporting needed to both qualify for 179D deductions and simplify the compliance process.
Here’s how B3 Benchmarking makes 179D easier:
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1. Energy Performance Assessment
B3 collects, organizes, and analyzes building energy data to track site energy usage and identify inefficiencies. This enables owners to establish a clear pre-retrofit baseline and determine the level of improvement needed to meet 179D standards. |
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2. Data-Driven Decision Making
B3’s analytics (robust database and physics-based modeling) help you identify which systems offer the best return on investment and where energy savings—and tax deductions—are most attainable. For portfolio owners, B3 helps prioritize buildings that are already close to the 179D threshold, enabling efficient targeting of resources and tax planning. |
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3. Pre- and Post-Retrofit Analysis
To claim the 179D deduction via AMP, owners must demonstrate measurable energy savings. B3 provides detailed reports comparing pre- and post-retrofit energy performance, including total energy reduction and percentage improvements—exactly what’s needed for certification. |
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4. Streamlined Compliance and Documentation
B3 simplifies the documentation process by generating exportable, third party-ready energy performance reports. These reports support the required professional verification, cutting down on engineering costs and administrative burden while ensuring accurate, audit-ready compliance. |
In summary, B3 Benchmarking is an essential tool for building owners seeking to take advantage of the 179D tax deduction. By replacing complex modeling with real performance data, B3 makes it easier to prove energy savings, demonstrate value to stakeholders, and secure substantial tax benefits.
Whether you’re managing a single facility or an entire portfolio, B3 Benchmarking helps align your sustainability goals with real financial incentives.
We can help. Request a Demo or get a Free Benchmark and see how energy efficiency can pay you back.
by cheristwg | Jan 8, 2025 | Articles
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B3 Benchmarking Newsletter
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In this newsletter:
- Waste Tracking
- Site and Building Editor Updates
- Meter Updates
- Upcoming Webinars
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Waste Tracking is HERE!
| The new waste module works much like energy and water tracking, with a few new features and nuances. This addition prompted an update to the Excel exports to consolidate and streamline requesting module specific data.
There are 4 new waste meter types: trash, recyclables, organics, and donations/reuse. Within each meter type, there is a selection of applicable material types. |
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| The default unit to track waste is pounds, but volume-based tracking is available via a new itemizer tool within the meter editor. The itemizer can also be used to track multiple bins or pickups within a single reading.
Waste tracking is an add-on subscription. To learn more, register below for a new features webinar, watch the Waste Tracking overview video on B3 Benchmarking’s YouTube channel, or contact B3 Info. |
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Site and Building Editor Updates
A few of the noteworthy updates to the site and building editors are:
- New building types have been added in the dropdown. Note, the following building types will not calculate B3 Benchmark and B3 Peer metrics as their energy use is dependent on more complex attributes: Aquarium, Drinking Water Treatment, Energy/Power Station, Refrigerated Warehouse and Single-Family Home.
- ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager has added new property use details to various types. In response, those have been integrated into B3 to match. Defaults will be used when available with ability to overwrite with actual values.
- Non-Building Type designation via a dropdown selection has been added to the site editor to identify and group various non-building sites. Designation can be utilized in the portfolio Sites table
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Meter Updates
Some changes to meters and usage this round include:
- Rename ‘Utility Company’ to the more general term ‘Provider’.
- Meter Frequency updated to include support for ‘Weekly’.
- New meter source type for Hydrometer, allowing for tracking of offsite REC owned subscriptions.
- Warning message that changing a meter’s Unit will impact all existing readings.
- Additional optional reading columns for all source types to track Taxes and Fees.
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Upcoming Webinars
| In the following sessions, we will be showcasing these new features and more, as well as time for Q&A.
High-level overview of new features, briefly covering Waste since similar to energy and water (30 mins)
- Thursday, January 16th at 12:00pm Central – Register Now
- Wednesday, January 22nd at 10:00-10:30am Central – Register Now
In-depth overview of new Waste module and features to support new B3 users (60 mins)
- Thursday, January 16th at 1:00-2:00pm Central – Register Now
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by cheristwg | Sep 9, 2024 | Articles
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B3 Benchmarking Newsletter
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In this newsletter:
- Help Content
- Export to Excel Updates
- ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® (ESPM) Integration
- Meter Updates
- Dashboard Configurations
- Upcoming Webinars
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Help Content
| B3’s help system has been revamped and integrated with our customer service software. Help links within the application will now direct users to that topic within the new platform. Clicking the Index link at the top will provide a list of all help topics. |
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| Many of the help topics now include training videos. These can be viewed within the help platform, or users can launch YouTube to view B3 Benchmarking’s YouTube Channel. Thirty videos have already been created, covering beginner to advanced topics. Depending on your B3 portal, a Videos menu link can be found under either About or Resources. Here the entire B3 playlist can be viewed or select a specific topic by linking to the playlist or channel. Subscribe and learn how to get the most out of B3 Benchmarking. |
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Export to Excel Updates
The Export to Excel engine has been revamped. Updates include:
- Colorized column headers to better visualize groupings
- Reorganized column orders in standard template exports
- New Load Factor field included in Monthly and Annual Usage exports when applicable
- More control over summation of columns and inclusion of individual meter source types
- Expected Outcomes now included in Events export
- Consolidation of flowmeter usage
- New custom field options
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ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (ESPM) Integration
| If you have B3 sites that auto-sync and pull building data from ESPM, site and building fields that would be overwritten by ESPM are now locked to help avoid confusion on where that data is managed. For B3 meters that pull usage data from ESPM, either auto-synced or utility automation, there is now a blue star icon on the far right of the meter editor table to indicate that connection. This will help identify which meters your organization is responsible for updating in B3 and which will pull usage from ESPM. |
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Meter Updates
Some changes to meters and usage this round include:
- Support for a new Load Factor column in the Meter Readings table. In the Options tab of the meter editor, the Load Factor column can be toggled on/off, similar to Peak Demand and other optional columns.
- For interval meters, the separate Interval tab within the meter editor to track the frequency of interval readings has been consolidated into the Options tab.
- Account and meter number columns can be toggled on/off within the Meters grid on the Data tab. This can be controlled in the User Settings window on the Options tab. User Settings is found under the Tools menu in the upper right corner.
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Dashboard Configurations
| Each user can customize their dashboard with the widgets most important to them. Drag/drop has been enhanced. Now, in addition to adjusting a widget’s width, the widget height can also be adjusted. This is helpful for organizations that have a longer list of sites. |
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Upcoming Webinars
| We will be showcasing these new features as well as answering any questions at the following sessions.
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by cheristwg | Jun 19, 2024 | Articles
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MN B3 Benchmarking Newsletter
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In this newsletter:
- Meter Reading Reminders
- Meter Reading Frequency
- Onsite Renewables with Exported Usage
- Upcoming Webinars
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Meter Reading Reminders
| For B3 Data Owners, the monthly automatic meter reading reminders have been refreshed and enhanced. Only meters that are overdue will be reported on in the reminder email. Meter frequency (discussed below) will determine when a meter is considered overdue.
Clicking the meter name from the email will open that meter editor in the application. Note: if you are not yet logged into B3, it will open to the B3 launch page first and then bring you to that meter editor once authenticated.
Below the list of overdue meters is now a Data Quality section, highlighting a summary of the organization’s B3 portfolio.
If you are the portfolio’s B3 Data Owner and not currently receiving these meter reading reminders, you can opt back in. Within the B3 application, select the Tools menu in the upper right corner and then User Settings. On the Alerts tab, there is an option to check on Meter Reading Reminders. |
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Meter Reading Frequency
| A Frequency field in the Meter Editor has been added to all meter types to track how often readings are entered. For non-interval meters, these options include monthly, quarterly, annual, and ad hoc. Interval meters will continue to have frequency options from every 5 minutes up to daily.
When adding a new meter, the default will be monthly for all non-delivered meter types. Delivered sources will default to ad hoc. If necessary, the default frequency can be updated along with other meter options.
Existing meters have been set to ‘(Auto)’ and will utilize the old threshold rules until updated to a selected frequency. Updating the frequency of existing meters will ensure data owners are not reminded about ad hoc meters that do not have regular readings. Please update existing meters accordingly to ensure data owners receive timely reminders. |
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Onsite Renewables with Exported Usage
| For sites with onsite renewables that have the capacity to net produce (generate more than the building uses), B3 has updated how meter readings are entered.
With data from your monthly bill(s), follow these 3 steps:
- Total Production — Enter from renewable or utility meter bill
- Exported Offsite — Enter from utility bill as net generated by customer or energy exported back to the grid.
- Usage — B3 will now calculate the difference between production and exported to determine how much renewable energy the building used.
To include Total Production and Exported Offsite columns, check Renewables on the Meter Editor – Options tab. |
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| If the array or turbine do not have the capacity to over-produce, leave Renewables unchecked. The building is using all the renewable energy produced so production is treated the same as usage. |
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Upcoming Webinars
We will be showcasing these new features as well as answering any questions at the following sessions.
by cheristwg | Mar 6, 2024 | Articles
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B3 Benchmarking Newsletter
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In this newsletter:
- Updated Improvements Tab
- Where Did That Go…
- B3 Peer Rating Enhancements
- Meter Premise Numbers
- Peak Demand Reporting
- Upcoming Webinars
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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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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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