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How to fix common errors and comply with the Energy Performance Reporting Policy for Commercial Buildings
Property owners of commercial buildings 20,000 square feet and larger are required to track and report energy performance information annually. This page identifies common errors and their fixes to ensure your building remains in compliance.
Missing/Incorrect Building ID
Log in to your Portfolio Manager account and navigate to the profile for your building, then follow these steps to add or edit your Portland Building ID in your building’s profile:
- Go to the Details tab.
- Find the Unique Identifiers (IDs) box on the left side of the page and click Edit.
Under Standard IDs, select Portland, OR Building ID from the drop-down list and enter your Correct Building ID.
Make sure to enter this exactly as it appears in notices sent by the energy reporting help desk, including hyphens and capital letters, in the Portland, OR Building ID field.
- Click Save.
Once you have corrected this and any other reporting error(s), you will need to resubmit your corrected report(s).
Temporary/Default values selected for property use details
Log in to your Portfolio Manager account and go to the profile for your building, then follow these steps to correct default and/or temporary values in your Portfolio Manager account:
- Go to the Details tab.
- Under the Property Uses and Property Details section, expand each of the listed property use types and search the entries for default and/or temporary value selections.
- Default values are indicated in the Values column, in parentheses.
- Temporary values are listed in the Temporary Value? column.
- Once you have an accurate value to enter, select I want to…Edit Use Details from the adjacent drop-down Action menu.
- Enter the actual value and unselect the temporary and/or default value checkboxes.
- Click Save at the bottom of the page.
- Repeat for each property use type where default and/or temporary values are present.
Once you have corrected this and any other reporting error(s), you will need to resubmit your corrected report(s).
Gross Floor Area (GFA) mismatch between self-reported and EPA-calculated square footage
Log in to your Portfolio Manager account and go to the profile for your building, then follow these steps to reconcile the building’s Gross Floor Area in the building’s Portfolio Manager profile:
- Go to the Details tab.
- The building’s Gross Floor Area (GFA) is listed in two different locations. It is entered in the building’s Basic Information section (shown below in the box on the left) and as a calculation of the sum of the property use types entered under the Property Uses and Use Details section. These GFA figures must match exactly. Review the GFA entered in both sections and determine which GFA figure is correct for the building.
- To adjust content in the Basic Information box, first click on the Edit button in the Basic Information box. Then, scroll down to the Property Information box and find the Gross Floor Area field to edit the GFA value. Click the Update Property button at the bottom of the page.
- To adjust the Property Use and Use Details section, first review the Gross Floor Area listed for each property use type (Office, Retail, etc.) and adjust the square footages accordingly so that the total equals the overall GFA of the building. Then, use the Action drop-down menu and select I want to…Edit Use Details. Change the value entered in the Gross Floor Area field and click the Save button.
Once you have corrected this and any other reporting error(s), you will need to resubmit your corrected report(s).
Primary property type mismatch between self-selected and EPA-calculated
Log in to your Portfolio Manager account and go to the profile for your building, then follow these steps to reconcile the building's property type in the building's Portfolio Manager profile:
- Go to the Details tab.
- The building's self-selected property type will be listed in the Property Type section, shown below in the box on the right.
- Confirm that the "Property Type – Portfolio Manager Calculated" section is accurate. Portfolio Manager calculates this based on the property type that accounts for more than 50% of your property's gross floor area (GFA).
- Locate the Property Use you wish to replace and print or write down its Property Use Details, so you can copy the relevant use details into the new Property Use.
- Return to the Details tab and use the Add Another Type of Use drop-down menu to select the appropriate new Property Use.
- To the right of this drop-down menu, click Add.
- Enter the Property Use Details (hours of operation, gross floor area, etc.). You may need to edit the Current As Of date selected.
- Click Save Use.
- Return to the Details tab and find the Property Use you want to remove. Under the Action column, select Delete use. A warning notification will pop up; this deletion is permanent.
- Click Continue to delete the incorrect Property Use.
In general, EPA recommends you enter as few Property Uses as possible. For example, if you have an office with a restaurant and health club, EPA recommends that you enter one Property Use (Office) and include the Gross Floor Area (GFA) and energy of the restaurant and health club within the Office Property Use. Also include the Property Use Details (Number of Workers, Computers, etc.) from the restaurant and health club with the Office Property Use.
Buildings are only classified as "Mixed Use" when there is no single property use that is over 50% of the building's GFA. Read more on the EPA's FAQ page.
Once you have corrected this and any other reporting error(s), you will need to resubmit your corrected report(s). If you are unsure of what property use type to use, please schedule a 30-minute Help Desk meeting to review the property and determine the best property use.
No site energy use intensity (EUI)
If your building is not generating an EUI in Portfolio Manager, it is likely due to an issue with how the energy usage data is entered in the building’s profile. Log in to your Portfolio Manager account and go to the profile for the building(s), then follow these steps to correct the EUI calculation in your Portfolio Manager account:
- In the upper-right corner of the building profile there is a box labeled Weather Normalized Source EUI. If an EUI cannot be calculated for your building, you will see N/A in the box. Click N/A to generate a pop-up window that will identify the problem and provide the solution for the problem.
- There can be more than one reason an EUI is not being calculated for your building. Address all issues identified in the pop-up window until Portfolio Manager can calculate an EUI for your building.
- The EUI in the upper-right corner may show an ENERGY STAR score once all errors are corrected.
Common reasons an EUI is not generated include, but are not limited to:
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| An energy meter selected to calculate metrics does not include at least 12 full months of meter data for the current reporting calendar year. | Review energy meters on the Energy tab and add any missing dates and/or utility data. |
| An energy meter selected to calculate metrics has gaps or overlaps in meter data or one bill covers more than 65 days. | Review energy meters on the Energy tab and add any missing dates and/or utility data. |
| Energy usage is not entered in monthly intervals. | Energy usage data must be provided in monthly intervals for the calendar year. Review energy meters on the Energy tab and ensure that usage data is entered for each month. |
| Natural gas meter has missing monthly entries during the summer. | Review the natural gas meter on the Energy tab. Some buildings will have no natural gas use during summer months. Add entries for any of these months with a value of “0” in the usage field. |
You may also wish to use the Data Error Checker function on the Summary tab of your building’s profile to identify and resolve the issue. Enter Dec 31 and the calendar year for reporting as the timeframe, run the checker, and resolve any errors identified with a red exclamation point. Ignore any errors for waste or water, as that is not required for this policy.
Once you have corrected this and any other reporting error(s), you will need to resubmit your corrected report(s).
No weather-normalized site EUI
If your building is not generating a weather normalized EUI in Portfolio Manager, it is likely due to an issue with how the energy usage data is entered in the building’s profile.
Log in to your Portfolio Manager account and go to the profile for the building, then follow these steps to correct the weather normalized EUI calculation in your Portfolio Manager account:
- Go to the Energy tab.
- Review the entries for any Electric and Natural Gas meters set up in the account.
Common reasons the weather normalized EUI is not generated:
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Energy usage is not entered in monthly intervals. | Energy usage data must be provided in monthly intervals for the calendar year. Review energy meters on the Energy tab and ensure that usage data is entered for each month. |
| An energy meter selected to calculate metrics does not include at least 12 full months of meter data for the current reporting calendar year. | Review energy meters on the Energy tab and add any missing dates and/or utility data. |
| An energy meter selected to calculate metrics has gaps or overlaps in meter data or a single entry that covers more than 65 days. | Review energy meters on the Energy tab and add any missing dates and/or utility data. |
| Natural gas meter has missing monthly entries during the summer. | Review the natural gas meter on the Energy tab. Some buildings will have no natural gas use during summer months. Add entries for any of these months with a value of “0” in the usage field. |
You may also wish to use the Data Error Checker function on the Summary tab of your building’s profile to identify and resolve the issue. Enter Dec 31 and the calendar year for reporting as the timeframe, run the checker, and resolve any errors identified with a red exclamation point. You can ignore any errors for waste or water since that is not required for this policy.
Once you have corrected this and any other reporting error(s), you will need to resubmit your corrected report(s).
No electrical usage
There can be multiple reasons why your building’s electricity usage is not showing up in your report. Identify the specific problem and follow these steps to correct missing electric usage information:
Problem #1: The building profile has no electric meter(s) or no data has been entered on the electrical meter(s).
Solution: Set up electrical meter(s) and add utility data to capture all electrical use within the building. See Step 3 of the How To Guide for New Users for instructions. Once you have corrected this and any other reporting error(s), you will need to resubmit your corrected report(s).
Problem #2: Electric meter(s) are set up in the building profile, but not selected for calculation in performance metrics.
Solution: On the Energy tab, click on Change Meter Selections and adjust selections to include all meters that represent energy usage in the building. Once you have corrected this and any other reporting error(s), you will need to resubmit your corrected report(s).
Problem #3: Some energy usage entries have been entered, but there are gaps, overlaps or entries that cover more than 65 days.
Solution: On the Energy tab, review each meter that is selected for computing metrics. Verify that the entire calendar year for reporting is entered for each meter. Ensure that the only meters selected for computing metrics have all data entered for the reporting year.
Then, log in to your Portfolio Manager account and navigate to the profile for the building, and:
- On the Summary tab, find the Check for Possible Data Errors box and click on the button.
- Enter Dec 31 and the current calendar year for reporting as the timeframe and click Run Checker.
- Review and address any errors indicated with a red exclamation point. The data error checker will provide a link to guide you how to correct the problem.
- Once all errors with a red exclamation point have been resolved, resubmit your corrected report(s).
Estimated energy meter usage
Log in to your Portfolio Manager account and navigate to the profile for your building, then follow these steps to correct estimated meter usage information:
- Go to the Energy tab.
- Find your meter(s). Natural Gas meters tend to be the most common meters that flag for this error. Refer to the error correction notice to determine if you need to check Natural Gas or Electric meters, or both.
- Search for any entries that are marked as an estimation and review to confirm the actual value is entered. All energy usage included in your report must reflect actual values. Once the actual value is entered, uncheck adjacent box under the Estimation column.
- Click Save Bills at the bottom of the page.
- Repeat for any other meters, as needed.
Once you have corrected this and any other reporting error(s), you will need to resubmit your corrected report(s).
High ENERGY STAR Score or Low EUI
These errors are flagged when a building receives a higher-than-expected ENERGY STAR score, or the energy use intensity (EUI) is abnormally low. In most cases, there may be energy use data that was not included in the submitted report. Ensure that you have entered energy use for the entire building, including any tenant spaces and natural gas (if applicable). Refer to the instructions found in No electrical usage Problem #2 for instructions to add missing meters, including natural gas. You may need to enter any missing billing information for missing meters as well.
Once you have confirmed that all energy use data has been submitted for the building, and any other error(s) have been resolved, resubmit your corrected report(s) and email energyreporting@portlandoregon.gov to confirm that all energy use data was submitted. Be sure to include the Portland Building ID for the building that you are referring to.
Low ENERGY STAR Score or High EUI
These errors are flagged when a building receives a lower-than-expected ENERGY STAR score, or the energy use intensity (EUI) is abnormally high. In many cases, this may be correct based on the building type or use, but we confirm this with the primary contact before accepting the report as compliant.
Please review the entries for your energy use data and ensure that it is accurate. If you had to correct any other errors, resubmit your corrected report(s) and email energyreporting@portlandoregon.gov to confirm that accurate energy use data was submitted. Be sure to include the Portland Building ID for the building that you are referring to.
Gross Floor Area (GFA) is less than 20,000 square feet
This error is flagged when a submission has a GFA of under 20,000 square feet. Please review the instructions for Gross Floor Area (GFA) mismatch to ensure that you have entered the correct GFA for your building. See the definition of GFA below. If you believe your building's GFA is below 20,000 square feet, please email energyreporting@portlandoregon.gov for further instructions. Be sure to include the Portland Building ID for the building that you are referring to.
Gross Floor Area
The Gross Floor Area (GFA) is the total property square footage, measured between the principal exterior surfaces of the enclosing fixed walls of the building(s). This includes all areas inside the building(s) including supporting areas. GFA is not the same as rentable space but rather includes all area inside the building(s).
Included in GFA: lobbies, tenant areas, common areas, meeting rooms, break rooms, atriums (count the base level only), restrooms, elevator shafts, stairwells, mechanical equipment areas, basements, storage rooms.
Not included in GFA: exterior spaces, balconies, patios, exterior loading docks, driveways, covered walkways, outdoor playcourts (tennis, basketball, etc.), parking, interstitial plenum space between floors (which house pipes and ventilation), crawl spaces.
Additional guidance on GFA can be found on the ENERGY STAR website.
Invalid Property Use Type
This error is flagged when a submission has a property use type that is not expected under the reporting requirements. To resolve this issue, please correct any other errors you may have and resubmit your corrected report(s). After resubmitting your report(s), please email the Help Desk to confirm the correct property use type at energyreporting@portlandoregon.gov.
Resubmit your corrected report(s)
If you do not complete this step, your report(s) will not be updated with the correct information and your building’s compliance status will be listed as “Potential Error(s)” or “Non-Compliant” on our online interactive map, as well as in the spreadsheet format of the data.
Please follow the steps below to resubmit your corrected report(s):
- Go to the Reporting tab and find the Data Request: City of Portland Energy Reporting for [year] Performance Data. Select I Want To...Respond to Data Request from the Action drop-down menu.
- Select the properties that you updated by checking the box on the left and click Apply Selection; once the properties are applied, click Generate Response Preview.
- Refresh the page and select I Want To...Send Response from the Action drop-down menu.
- This will take you to Confirm Response to Data Request from Portland Benchmarking.
- Add any additional email confirmation recipients and the format of the data you will receive. This does not affect reporting to the City.
- Under E-Sign Your Data Response, check the box and enter your Portfolio Manager username and password. Click E-Sign Response.
- Once your e-signature has been verified (green check mark), click Send Data. Click Continue on the pop-up notification to confirm submission.
Congratulations! Your corrected report(s) were submitted.
City of Portland staff will review your submission(s) and send a follow-up email to inform you if your reports are compliant or still have potential errors that need to be corrected.