Each building’s energy efficiency target—measured in energy use intensity known as “EUI”— is your building’s energy performance goal under Energize Denver. Getting your building’s energy efficiency target right is the first, most critical step to smart, cost-effective upgrades that reduce energy use and meet city requirements while that fitting your building’s real-world conditions.
Your energy efficiency target reflects how much energy your building should be using each year based on its size and type—and it must be based on accurate benchmarking data and verified by a certified vendor.
Steps to verifying an accurate energy efficiency target
- Benchmark your building accurately
- Review the new benchmarking checklist to ensure you include enough detail in your report
Download the Benchmarking Checklist(PDF, 622KB)
- Get your benchmarking report verified
- Update your target with the city, if needed
Your energy efficiency target is your building’s energy performance goal under Energize Denver.
Getting it right helps you:
- Know where you stand – Is your building on track or using too much energy?
- Plan smarter upgrades – Make improvements that deliver real results.
- Track progress – See what’s working and adjust as needed.
- Keeps you aligned with city requirements and avoids penalties.
Benchmarking turns the information on your utility bill into knowledge you can act on. Every year, building owners gather their building energy use data and compare it to your energy efficiency target.
Summary of Requirements
What needs to be done?
- Gather building energy use data and report it to the city annually. You must submit your benchmarking report through the Energize Denver Management Portal.
- The city will review your benchmarking report to determine if you are in compliance with your energy efficiency target. No additional documentation is needed to demonstrate compliance.
- IMPORTANT: In 2025, we want you to check your benchmarking report using our Benchmarking Checklist(PDF, 622KB). This will ensure your benchmarking report is detailed enough to assign you the correct energy efficiency target.
Who needs to do it?
- All buildings within the City and County of Denver 25,000 sq. ft. and larger must submit their benchmarking information annually.
When it must be done?
- Your building’s 2024 energy data must be submitted by September 1, 2025.
- In future years, your benchmarking report will be due on June 1.
Your Annual Benchmarking Report helps you:
- Track your building’s energy use.
- See if you're on pace to meet your energy efficiency target.
- Take action if your current Energy Use Intensity (EUI) is above your energy efficiency target(s).
What if I need a Benchmarking Exemption?
Your building may qualify for an exemption from this year's benchmarking requirement if it:
- Was not occupied
- Was being renovated
- Is in qualifying financial distress
Do you make benchmarking data public?
What happens if I don't submit my Benchmarking Report?
- Reports with data quality issues will not be accepted until the errors are resolved.
- A $2,000 fine applies if the benchmarking report is not approved by September 1, 2025.
- Failure to resolve or pay a citation within 180 days may result in a property lien.
How to Complete Your Benchmarking Report:
This guide will show you all of the steps for gathering information, verifying it, and then reporting it to the city. If you need a more detailed guide with screenshots and detailed steps, you can download our Energize Denver Benchmarking Guide(PDF, 601KB).
Prepare Your Benchmarking Report
- Log in or Set Up your Energy Star Portfolio Manager (“EPSM”) Account
- Add or Verify your Property Details and Building ID in ESPM
- Find your Denver Building ID using the Lookup Tool.
- Use this checklist(PDF, 622KB) to review your building's details in ESPM
- Check Your Gross Floor Area (GFA):
- Confirm accuracy of square footage using the definition in Section 3.1 of the Technical Guidance.
- Remove the parking area from the GFA and list it separately as a use type, if applicable.
- Review Building Type and Use Details:
- Choose either one main ESPM property type or break out all use types (especially high-intensity areas like restaurants or data centers).
- Create Meters and Add Energy Data in ESPM
- Use Xcel Energy to Auto-Upload Your Energy Use Data:
- Manually Enter The Following Information if Applicable:
- Ensure full calendar year data is entered under the Energy tab.
- Run the Data Quality Checker in the Summary tab.
- Connect and Share the Property in ESPM
- Connect with Energize Denver
- Go to the “Contacts” page and click “Add New Contacts/Connections.”
- Search by Name for “Energize Denver”, then click “Connect”.
- Share your Property
- Go to the “Sharing” tab and click “Share (or Edit Access to a Property).”
- Click “Select Properties” and choose all applicable Denver buildings.
- Select “City and County of Denver, Energize Denver Program” from your contact list.
- Choose “Personalized Sharing & Exchange Data”, then click “Continue.”
- In the sharing settings:
- Set “Read Only Access”
- Click “Exchange Data” to open the pop-up, and confirm “Read Only Access”
- Set “Recognition” to None
- Set “Share Forward” to Yes
- Click “Apply Selections & Authorize Exchange,” then click “Share Property(ies)” to complete the process.
Submit Your Annual Benchmarking Report
- Login or Set Up your Energize Denver Management Portal Account
- Building representatives on file received a link to register for the portal
- Contact the Energize Denver Help Desk if you are having trouble registering
- Claim your Building(s) in the Energize Denver Management Portal
- You only need to do this the first time use the Portal to submit your Benchmarking Report
-
Submit Your Report: On the My Buildings or Dashboard Overview page, click the Submit button next to your property.
- Get Confirmation: Receive notice of submission status and whether revisions are needed.
Follow the detailed instructions:
Download the Detailed Benchmarking User Guide(PDF, 601KB) or watch the Benchmarking 101 video
Accurate benchmarking and data verification are the foundation for setting an accurate energy efficiency target. All buildings 25,000+ sq. ft. must complete third-party data verification of their benchmarking report twice to meet compliance requirements.
Summary of Requirements:
- Initial verification of benchmarking data by June 1, 2026 to confirm that your building’s information, including square footage, property use types, and energy consumption, is correct and reflects the right energy efficiency target.
- Final verification of benchmarking data to demonstrate your building is meeting its energy efficiency target for your final target year.
What needs to be done?
- Identify a third-party data verification service provider to verify your benchmarking data by the 2026 reporting deadline, then conduct a final verification by your target-year benchmarking submission. If you need to adjust your current target based on the data verification, go to target adjustments
Who needs to do it?
- All buildings 25,000 sq. ft. or larger covered by Energize Denver must submit their benchmarking data annually and submit third-party data verification twice. Once by June 1, 2026 and then by the final target deadline.
When it must be done?
- All buildings must complete third-party data verification of their benchmarking report twice:
- First deadline, by June 1, 2026: CASR requires one verified benchmarking report to ensure accurate energy efficiency targets. Building owners and managers must submit verification for either:
- The 2024 calendar-year report (submitted by September 1, 2025),
- The 2025 calendar-year report (submitted by June 1, 2026),
- If the building has an approved target adjustment from any prior year then data verification has been completed
- Second deadline, for the final target year measurement period: A second third-party verification will be required when reporting the benchmarking data for the final target year (typically 2032 but depends on your timeline), which is due by June of the following year (e.g. June 2033).
How to Submit Your Data Verification
- Find a data verifier
- Your data verifier must have the correct credentials to complete the data verification for you. The data verifier cannot be the building owner or a building representative who completes the annual benchmarking report. See more details in the technical guidance.
- The Energize Denver team has identified third-party data verification service providers. Remember that you must submit this verification at least once by June 2026. If you’ve already completed verification for a target adjustment in the past, you do not need to submit additional verification.
See the updated Service Provider List
Note: The list only confirms that the service provider has completed Energize Denver training and passed a comprehension quiz that tests their knowledge of the program. The City and County of Denver does not vet these providers or their services. All services are self-reported by the service providers.
You must take the following steps once you have secured your data verifier:
- Connect with the Data Verifier in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (ESPM)
- Log into your ESPM account.
- Go to Contacts and add the Data Verifier's ESPM account as a contact.
- Wait for the Data Verifier to accept the connection.
- Share Your Property with the Data Verifier
- Go to the Sharing tab in ESPM.
- Click Share (or Edit Access to) a Property.
- Select your property, choose the Data Verifier as the contact, and grant them Full Access.
- Gather Supporting Information
- Prepare the following to support verification:
- Building documents (blueprints, assessments, etc.)
- Rent roll and utility bill copies
- Online utility access (e.g. Xcel Energy portal)
- Documentation of any renewable energy credits (RECs), EV chargers, etc.
- Data Verifier Reviews Benchmarking Report
- Your Data Verifier will:
- Confirm that property use, square footage, and energy data are accurate.
- Adjust benchmarking data if needed for target adjustments.
- (Optional: Verifier can help normalize data for performance targets or target adjustment applications.)
- Generate Data Verification Checklist
- In ESPM, go to Reporting > Data Verification Checklist.
- Select your property and the correct calendar year (e.g. Dec 31 of the applicable year).
- Download the checklist.
- Complete & Sign the Checklist
- Your Data Verifier will:
- Review property characteristics, property use details, and energy consumption.
- Fill in their credential information.
- Sign and date the checklist.
- Enter verification information into ESPM under the property’s Details tab.
Follow the detailed instructions:
Download the Energize Denver Data Verification Guide(PDF, 603KB) or watch this Data Verification Process for Building Owners video
The main goal of the Energize Denver Building Performance Policy is to cut energy use across all covered buildings by 30% by the year 2030. But this doesn’t mean every single building has to reduce energy use by exactly 30%.
Summary of Requirements
- Each building receives a standard energy efficiency target—measured in energy use intensity known as “EUI”—based on its building type. That target then gets adjusted using the building’s benchmarking data (energy use info). If a building is very inefficient—more than 42% away from the typical target—then its required reduction is capped at 42%.
- Owners and managers of buildings 25,000+ sq. ft. are finding that their energy efficiency targets are not right due to inaccurate or incomplete benchmarking and other reasons. All buildings can submit a target adjustment for their buildings, if needed.
What needs to be done?
- If you're a building owner or manager of a building 25,000 sq. ft. or larger, it’s important to double-check your benchmarking data and complete third-party data verification to ensure your energy efficiency target is right.
- In some cases, your target will automatically adjust based on your verified data.
- In other cases, you may need to submit a request for a manual adjustment if your current target doesn't reflect the true nature of your building or its energy use. See the step-by-step below.
- You can request a target adjustment if any of the following apply:
- Benchmarking errors (e.g., square footage, building type)
- Specific energy uses (operating hours, parking, pools, data centers, EV charging)
- Adaptive reuse (change in occupancy type)
- Situations where the standard target requires more than a 42% energy reduction
Who needs to do it?
- All buildings 25,000 square feet or larger covered by Energize Denver are eligible to apply for an adjustment to their energy efficiency target.
When must it be done?
How to Adjust Your Energy Efficiency Target
At any time, building owners and managers can adjust a building’s final energy efficiency target for reasons, including:
1. Identify Eligible Adjustment Category
You can adjust your energy efficiency target for reasons including:
- Benchmarking errors (e.g., square footage, building type)
- Specific energy uses (operating hours, parking, pools, data centers, EV charging)
- Adaptive reuse (change in occupancy type)
- Situations where the standard target requires more than a 42% energy reduction.
There are two types of energy efficiency target adjustments under the Energize Denver policy:
- Standard Target Adjustments: Correct for benchmarking errors or unique energy uses like pools, EV charging, or data centers; and if the adjusted target is more than 42% reduction from the baseline, the percent reduction adjustment would be applied.
- Customized Target Adjustments: For buildings that can’t meet their target even after standard adjustments and an audit; sets a target based on feasible, cost-effective savings.
Timing Tip: Custom targets can be submitted at any time, but they must be approved before the applicable evaluation year (2028 for interim targets, 2032 for final targets).
2. Gather Supporting Documentation
- Prepare the following items to support your application:
- Your ENERGY STAR benchmarking report (typically from 2019 or another approved year)
- Third-party verification of benchmarking data
- Documentation for your specific adjustment reason (e.g., pool operation times, EV station usage, occupancy classification changes).
3. Submit a Standard Target Adjustment Request (if eligible)
If your building qualifies for a standard adjustment—such as correcting a benchmarking error, accounting for specific energy uses (e.g., pools, parking, EV charging), or exceeding the 42% reduction limit. Submit the request via the online form. You must include:
- 2019 (or alternate year) ENERGY STAR benchmarking report
- Third-party data verification checklist
- Documentation supporting the adjustment (e.g., building plans, submeter data, photos)
Note: If your building is part of the Xcel Energy District Cooling Loop, your adjustment is automatic—no application required.
4. Request a Historical/Unique Building Target (if applicable)
If your building is historic, a landmark, or serves a unique function (like a museum, arena, or event center) that isn’t well-represented in ENERGY STAR data, you may apply for a Historical/Unique Target. Submit the request via the online form. Requirements include:
- Third-party verified benchmarking
- Evidence of unique use or designation (e.g., historical registry, use type justification)
5. Request a Custom Target (if needed after recommended audit)
If, after standard adjustments and completing a qualified energy audit, your building still cannot reasonably meet its target, you may request a Custom Target. Submit the request via the online form. To qualify, you must:
- Complete a third-party verified energy audit
- Explore on-site renewable energy options
- Provide documentation of energy-saving measures with less than a 20-year payback, including major systems or envelope upgrades
If you are pursuing a custom target, we recommend reading all of the requirements in section 5.6 of the Technical Guidance first.
6. Receive and Apply Adjusted Target
- Upon approval, your new adjusted energy efficiency target will inform both your interim (2028) and final (2032) performance goals.
- Make sure to implement reductions and track progress accordingly.
Need to troubleshoot?
- Call the Energize Denver Help Desk: 844-536-4528 (Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.)
- Email the Energize Denver Help Desk: energizedenver@denvergov.org
- In-person sessions available
See more about how the Energize Denver Help Desk can help you
Want more information about Benchmarking?
Need someone to help you complete your benchmarking report?
- Find professionals who have completed our Benchmarking Training to support you.
Trained Service Providers List
How should I benchmark multiple buildings that share a meter?
When several buildings share one energy meter, they should benchmark together as a single building. This will let you take advantage of Xcel Energy’s automatic upload function. They will upload your monthly energy data into Energy Star Portfolio Manager for you. You can then benchmark your buildings at the level that makes sense for your strategy.
You may have good reasons to benchmark these shared-meter buildings separately. We encourage you to explore your options. You may want to benchmark these buildings separately if:
- You have separate electric meters but a shared gas meter.
- One building might have completed an upgrade while the other(s) have not
- You want to understand the energy performance of each building on its own.
If you have multiple buildings sharing both electric and gas meters, we urge you to consider sub-metering. This will help you better understand your energy usage. If you do not sub-meter the buildings, you must report the buildings as one account on ESPM.
If you are benchmarking multiple buildings together because they share a meter, please email energizedenver@denvergov.org. This way, we can help you figured out the best way to benchmark.
How can I get whole-building data if energy meters are owned by tenants?
Xcel Energy offers monthly auto-upload of utility data into customers' ESPM accounts. For buildings with more than one account holder, Xcel Energy can provide aggregated whole-building data. The data can go straight to the building owner’s ESPM account through the auto-upload service. You don't need to provide additional documentation if:
- There are four or more Xcel Energy tenants in the building
- No one tenant uses more than 50 percent of the building’s total energy
If you meet one of these conditions, Xcel Energy's Energy Benchmarking User Guide can help you set up auto-upload. If your building does not meet the above criteria, you must request customer consent to use auto-upload. If you have access to tenant bills, you can enter monthly energy meter data by hand.
What can I do if one or more tenants will not release consent?
Start by confirming that you need consent. Consent is required from tenants if:
- There are three or fewer Xcel Energy tenants in the building
- One tenant uses more than 50 percent of the building's total energy
If you need consent and a tenant is refusing to provide it, there are some options:
- Provide more context, such as:
- The building owner is legally required to benchmark annually.
- ESPM aggregates the energy use of all tenants to protect privacy.
- No specific proprietary information is reported.
- Benchmarking is a widely implemented practice in the United States.
- It is a proven way to reduce overhead costs related to energy use as well as improve the air quality within a community.
- Share the Ordinance and Rules (section 3.2.C).
- Leverage current lease agreement terms. All leases contain basic language requiring tenants to abide by local laws and work with the owner to meet the legal requirements of the building or they could risk eviction.
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Update or establish “green leasing” agreements with tenants to set terms related to data sharing, data access, and or complying with City/State/Federal regulations.
How can I access meter data if I am not the building owner?
If you are not the building owner, Xcel Energy will need to:
- Verify that you have a relationship with the building owner.
- Get you authorized on the building owner’s Xcel Energy account at the property. This can be done by completing a consent form with the building owner as the customer of record.
The building owner can also contact Xcel Energy at 1-800-481-4700 and request to add you as an authorized contact.
Please reach out to the team at benchmarking@xcelenergy.com for help with your consent form.
How can I access whole-building data for my condominium building?
Xcel Energy will treat the condominium owner’s association as the property owner in these cases. Ensure the property manager/benchmarker is an authorized user on the Xcel account for the common areas. Consent might be needed by the HOA to release the energy data to the property manager or benchmarker. Please reach out tobenchmarking@xcelenergy.comif you have any questions.
How do I request new or updated energy data to be uploaded into my ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager meters as an Xcel Energy customer?
In situations where you find the energy data is not up to date, missing data, or includes a meter that does not contain whole building data, please reach out tobenchmarking@xcelenergy.comto address the issue. In your email, describe the issues you are experiencing, provide the property address(es), and the 7-digit ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Property ID(s).
How do I correctly enter the number of units in a low-, medium-, or high-rise setting for multifamily properties?
Most multifamily properties are categorized as one of the following:
- Low Rise (1-4 floors)
- Medium (5-9 floors)
- High (10 floors or more)
If a building has 11 floors, all units in that building are in a high-rise setting. If a building has eight floors, all units in that building are in a medium-rise setting. The only time a building would have units in more than one setting is if there are two parts of the same building that are of different heights. for example, one section is a high-rise tower and the other section only has three floors.
What energy units do electric and gas meters need to be set to?
Units for electricity are kWh and units for gas are Therms for Xcel Energy gas customers.
How should I enter District Steam and Chilled Water?
If you get district steam and chilled water, Xcel Energy is not currently able to automatically transfer this data to Portfolio Manager for you. District steam and chilled water customers should configure their meters in Portfolio Manager as follows:
- District Service, Meter Type, Units
- Steam, District Steam, kLbs (thousand pounds)
- Chilled Water, District Chilled Water from an electric-driven chiller, ton hours
Note: Steam is billed by Xcel in Mlbs. This is the English system in which Mlbs means thousand pounds. This corresponds to kLbs in the metric system used by Portfolio Manager. Please make sure you select your units as kLbs in Portfolio Manager. The Mlbs option is metric and means million pounds. Do not select Mlbs in Portfolio Manager!
If you are a new District Chilled Water customer or are leaving the district system, you must notify the Energize Denver Help Desk at energizedenver@denvergov.org. We will need to add or remove a target adjustment for your final energy efficiency target.
How should I enter onsite renewable energy generation?
You will need to create an additional Electric Solar Meter or Electric Wind Meter. Then, you need to enter the production data for that system with that meter. Xcel Energy is able to automatically upload Electric Solar Meter data into Portfolio Manager. The meter should be set up the same way as your other auto-upload meters. Xcel Energy is not able to upload the wind turbine data to Portfolio Manager. Your Xcel Energy billing statements will have the information you need to enter manually into ESPM. Xcel Energy will still transfer the electricity you purchased from the grid to the Electric Grid Meter in ESPM.
What if I make an error and need to resubmit my building information?
If your building is already in compliance and you realize you made an error in your submission and need to resubmit information, please call the Energize Denver Help Desk first at 844-536-4528. We must prepare our system to receive your new data, otherwise it will not register.
The square footage or use details I previously reported were incorrect. What do I do?
- First you will want to update your property use(s), use details, and square footage in ESPM.
- Once your property is up to date in ESPM, you will need to resubmit the benchmarking report for the current year. Contact the Help Desk before resubmitting.
- If your property types or square footage details changed from the data used to set your baseline EUI, you will need to submit a target adjustment application so that your targets can be corrected.
How should I benchmark a building with multiple uses, like a strip mall?
Strip malls or mixed-use buildings are generally benchmarked as one building. You should break out the different building types by square footage. You can get aggregated whole-building electricity and natural gas usage data from Xcel Energy. You do not need to collect energy usage information from individual tenants.
Special considerations for strip malls:
- If one strip mall falls on more than one parcel, as defined by the tax assessor, each parcel should benchmark as a separate building.
- If a driveway divides the strip mall on a single parcel into two distinct buildings, each of those buildings should benchmark separately.
- Individual tenants could be broken down into their own building ID for benchmarking purposes, but they cannot share utility meters with other units.
- If you own or manage a strip mall, we recommend that you call the Energize Denver Help Desk so we can help you find the right way to benchmark.
My property is mixed use and does not fit under one building use. How detailed should I be when entering my use details?
When you fill out your Benchmarking Report, we recommend entering Building Use Details as specifically and granularly as possible. Please add each use type that exists in your building, even if those spaces are under 5,000 sq. ft. This will ensure that we use the correct building use-types to create and assess your energy efficiency target.
If you did not previously break out the different use-types in your building you might need a
Target Adjustment. This will ensure your energy efficiency targets accurately reflect your property.