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PROPOSED ORDINANCE
THE COOK COUNTY BUILDING ENERGY BENCHMARKING ORDINANCE
BE IT ORDAINED, by the Cook County Board of Commissioners, that Part I, General Ordinances, Chapter 2, Administration, Article I, In General, Section 2-8 Cook County Building Energy Benchmarking, is hereby enacted as Follows:
Section 2-8. Cook County Building Energy Benchmarking.
(a) Definitions. The following terms used in this section, shall have the meanings set forth below:
Benchmarking means to track and input a building's energy consumption data and other relevant building information for twelve consecutive months, as required by the benchmarking tool, to quantify the building's energy use.
Benchmarking Tool means the website-based software, commonly known as "ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager," developed and maintained by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to track and assess the relative energy use of buildings nationwide. This term also applies to any successor system thereto, including any change or addition made to such tool by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Building means any structure built for the support, shelter or enclosure of persons, animals, chattels, or movable property of any kind, and which is permanently affixed to the land. A fence is not a building. For purposes of this section, a building is one that is owned and operated by or on behalf of Cook County.
Certificate of Occupancy means the certificate issued by the Zoning Administrator, Building Commissioner, or Cook County Department of Building and Zoning allowing building occupancy or use.
Chief Sustainability Officer means the Chief Sustainability Officer or if none has been designated, the Director of Environmental Control.
County Building means any Group 1 County building or Group 2 County building as defined by this section. The term "County building" does not include any building with more than 10 percent occupancy use classified as open air assembly units, storage units, or parking structures.
Director means the Director of the Cook County Office of Capital Planning and Policy.
Energy means electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, steam, or other product sold by a utility for use in a building, or renewable on-site electricity generation, for purposes of powering or fueling end uses in a building.
Energy Manager means the Cook County Energy Manager.
Energy Performance Score means the 1 to 100 numerical score produced by the Benchmarking Tool, also known as ENERGY STAR score, or any successor score thereto. The energy performance score assesses a building's energy performance relative to similar buildings, based on source energy use, operating characteristics, and geographical location.
Group 1 County Building means any building or group of buildings owned and operated by, or on behalf of, Cook County or for which the County regularly pays all of the annual utility bills, containing at least 250,000 gross square feet, as identified by the Director.
Group 2 County Building means any building or group of buildings owned and operated by or on behalf of Cook County or for which the County regularly pays all of the annual utility bills, containing at least 35,000 but less than 250,000 gross square feet, as identified by the Director.
Gross Square Feet means the total number of square feet measured between the exterior surfaces of the enclosing fixed walls of a building. The term Gross Square Feet includes vent shafts, elevator shafts, flues, pipe shafts, vertical ducts, stairwells, light wells, basement space, mechanical or electrical rooms, and interior parking.
(b) Schedule.
(1) By August 1, 2014, and by June 1st each year thereafter, the County Energy Manager shall benchmark all Group 1 County Buildings for the previous calendar year.
(2) By June 1, 2015, and by June 1st each year thereafter, the County Energy Manager shall benchmark all Group 2 County Buildings for the previous calendar year.
(c) Verification.
(1) The Director shall verify all benchmarking information for each building.
(2) Benchmarking information shall include at least the following:
(i) Building address;
(ii) Energy use intensity (EUI);
(iii) Annual greenhouse gas emissions; and
(iv) The Energy Performance Score that compares the energy use of the building to that of similar buildings, where available.
(3) As of June 2016, Benchmarking shall also include Water Use data.
(d) Reporting and Disclosure.
(1) The Director and the Chief Sustainability Officer shall prepare and submit an annual report to the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners reviewing and evaluating energy and water efficiency in County buildings, including the most recent reported Energy Benchmarking Information that compares the energy and water use of the building to that of similar buildings, where available, the actual energy and water use of each covered building, and the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the energy use. Said report shall also list any building that the Director exempts from the benchmarking requirement with an explanation, pursuant to subsection (e) below.
(2) The Director and the Chief Sustainability Officer are authorized to make reported benchmarking information readily available to the public.
(e) Exemptions. The Director may exempt from the benchmarking requirement any building for which any of the following apply:
(1) The building had average physical occupancy of less than 50 percent throughout the calendar year for which benchmarking is required; or
(2)The building is new construction and the building's certificate of occupancy was issued during the calendar year for which benchmarking is required.
Secs. 2-89-2-40. Reserved.
Effective date: This ordinance shall be in effect immediately upon passage and approval.
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