This performance measure shows whether the City is reducing the energy intensity of its buildings. Even as the City grows, and its needs for office space expand, this measure tells us if we’re using that space more efficiently over time.

The data shows that the energy-use intensity of  City-owned buildings has been mostly decreasing over time as Facilities replaces aging HVAC and lighting equipment and invests in other efficiency measures.

Sharp decreases in FY 2019-20 and FY 2020-21 were due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated work-from-home policies. Conversely, the increase in FY 2022-23 was due to post-pandemic increases in the occupancy of City buildings.

While this measure tends to move in fits and starts as older buildings are renovated, reducing the portfolio’s energy use intensity by 2% per year on average will allow the city to meet its goal of zero emissions by 2050.

These numbers were calculated using information from the office buildings that are owned and operated by the Bureau of Fleet & Facilities. Only office buildings are included because they run during normal office hours, allowing us to externally benchmark their energy use.

We took the total, annual energy use of each building in the form of electricity and natural gas, converted it into British Thermal Units (BTUs), and divided that number by the gross floor area of the building. That resulted in each building’s annual Energy Use Intensity. The average annual Energy Use Intensity of all buildings was then calculated and compared to the previous year’s average to estimate the percentage change.

This data is collected and tracked by the Bureau of Fleet & Facilities, with the exceptions noted above. As the new form of government continues to be implemented, facilities management will be more centralized and it is likely that the City will be able to report the average annual Energy Use Intensity of all of its office buildings in future years.

Visit the Bureau of Fleet and Facilities website for more information.