According to a 2016 survey conducted by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), facility managers in New York City who benchmark the energy use of their buildings are also more likely to invest in energy-saving technologies.

Specifically, 82 percent of such facility managers have then invested in technologies and other ways to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings. Eighty-four percent of managers also made low- or no-cost operational changes to improve energy efficiency.

These changes are being made because of increased energy benchmarking practices, and it’s a trend that’s growing across the United States. Many cities have been implementing energy benchmarking ordinances that require large buildings to monitor and disclose energy use. The theory was that such rules would encourage facility managers to explore and use energy-saving technologies, and if the NEMA survey numbers are any indication, the rules are having the desired effect.

“This survey adds to the growing evidence that building energy benchmarking and transparency ordinances are prompting facility managers and building owners to make investments in energy-efficient equipment and low- or no-cost operational changes,” said Kyle Pitsor, NEMA vice president of government relations.

New York’s Local Law 84 requires owners of large buildings to enter their annual energy and water use in the Energy Star Portfolio Manager, an online tool provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Soon, however, that law will expand to other New York buildings. Starting in 2018, owners of mid-size buildings larger than 25,000 square feet and smaller than 50,000 square feet will be required to benchmark for the first time.

Other cities, including Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, are also seeing energy performance increases thanks to similar policies. In total, more than 10.7 billion square feet of building floor space in the United States are currently covered by such benchmarking rules.