Building Energy Analysis Manager
A Tool to Help States and Communities Achieve Building Energy Policy Goals - Developed in Partnership By:
What is BEAM?
BEAM is a tool that aggregates benchmarking data and is capable of performing automatic compliance tracking based on a jurisdiction’s specific benchmarking or building performance standard policy.
Tracking data for building energy rating policies can be time consuming and resource intensive. BEAM removes these barriers by streamlining the process and can be used for projects both large and small. The Building Energy Analysis Manager (BEAM) tool is a cost-effective solution designed to help towns, cities, and states manage their building energy policy goals. BEAM tracks compliance and streamlines administration of policies including benchmarking and building performance standards (BPS). It facilitates easy communication with various groups of building owners with a built in CRM.
The development of BEAM has been guided by a project advisory committee, whose members represent early adopters of benchmarking and BPS, ensuring the tool’s functionality meets a broad range of policy specifications. The overall purpose of BEAM is to help administrators of these programs manage benchmarking data, track compliance, communicate with building owners, and analyze results. BEAM expands upon U.S. DOE’s SEED Platform by adding complex automatic compliance tracking based on a jurisdiction’s specific BPS or benchmarking policy. This flexible structure accommodates various policy and ordinance program designs including building type, building size, compliance timelines, unit of measure (ENERGY STAR Score, EUI, GHG emissions, jurisdiction specific scores, etc.), and more. BEAM also utilizes a CRM and email component which enables seamless communications between a jurisdiction and its building owners.
Benefits
Supports building energy policy: Whether it be benchmarking or performance standards (voluntary or mandatory) BEAM will track the data. The CRM communications technology makes it easy to communicate with building owners and ensure that everyone stays on track and receives the help they need.
Identifies trends and averages in energy usage: BEAM can generate reports to highlight energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and more, giving jurisdictions important insight into what's going on in their building stock. It can display this information on a map for geographic analysis. Understanding the building stock is the first step in creating effective policies and programs to tackle building decarbonization.
Supports jurisdiction carbon goals: The existing building stock accounts for 40 percent of national carbon emissions. This percentage increases to 60-70 percent when looking at cities. Targeting these emissions are imperative in achieving strict climate goals that cites, towns, and states are adopting. BEAM facilities the decarbonization of the existing building stock.
Reduces time spent tracking manually: Sustainability and energy offices are not known for having extra resources to spend on projects. Benchmarking and building performance standards are not easy tasks and can be out of reach for many communities. BEAM is meant for sustainability and energy offices in jurisdictions both large and small to streamline these complex building initiatives and make them attainable for all.
Contact Information
For more information about BEAM, to find out if it's the right fit for your jurisdiction, or to schedule a demo of the tool, please contact Andy Winslow or John Balfe.
Resources: