The Building Owners and Managers Association of Oregon, BOMA, has launched the 2012 Kilowatt Crackdown in the Portland metropolitan area in partnership with Energy Trust of Oregon, the City of Portland, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, BetterBricks and Clark Public Utilities. This unique collaboration between public and private organizations will benchmark energy efficiency in office buildings throughout the Portland metropolitan area by providing a framework for voluntary disclosure of energy information for participants.

Registration for the challenge opened in September, and the contest will run from January 2012 through May 2013. There is no entry fee to participate in the competition. Qualifying contestants receive a free customized Energy Assessment and action plan, an energy coach to help develop energy-saving initiatives, free technical support and data review and a number of other benefits. Participants will benchmark and track their building energy performance through the ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager Tool, and will seek to improve their performance over time.

Buildings are assigned to one of three different competition tracks based on size, capabilities and other criteria. There are multiple prizes for each track, as well as a grand prize and special bonuses. At the end of the competition performance levels will be assessed through ENERGY STAR to identify the highest performing buildings and the greatest improvement.

“Prospective tenants demand efficient, environmentally friendly buildings and are willing to pay for it,” said Scott Andrews, chairman, Portland Development Commission. “Benchmarking for improved performance keeps us competitive in the marketplace, and will help us deliver on our economic development goals to foster the next wave of innovation in sustainable building.”