When should I create separate Property Uses?

In general, EPA recommends you enter as few Property Uses as possible. For example, say you have an office with a restaurant, a health club, and a dry cleaner. EPA recommends that you enter one Property Use (Office), and include the Gross Floor Area (GFA) and energy of the restaurant, health club, and dry cleaner within the Office Property Use. You would also include the Property Use Details (Number of Workers, Computers, etc.) from the restaurant, health club and dry cleaner with the Office Property Use.

There are four exceptions to this rule where you should create an additional Property Use:

1. If it is a Property Use that can get an ENERGY STAR Score. (Note: Retail can only get a score if it is greater than 5,000 sq ft)
2. If it accounts for more than 25% of the property's GFA
3. If it is a vacant/unoccupied Office or Medical Office (and the vacancy is greater than 10% of the property's GFA)
4. If the Weekly Hours differ by more than 10% for the same Property Type AND that Property Type can get a score (ex: you have two Office tenants, and their hours differ by more than 10%)

Why? While it may seem logical and orderly to break out each Property Use separately, it does not increase the accuracy of your score (unless the Property Use Type can get a score). The ENERGY STAR score is typically based on CBECS data, which keeps a building designated as a single type as long as that type accounts for 75% or more. The Office in this example would be called “Office” in CBECS (provided the restaurant, health club and dry cleaner were less than 25% of the GFA). You’ll receive the most accurate score if you match this CBECS approach. In fact, even if you enter these Uses separately, Portfolio Manager will add them back together into the Office Property Use before calculating your metrics. Also, entering one Property Use will simplify your property and make trouble shooting errors easier.