The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched a multifamily version of its Energy Star Portfolio Manager. The online energy performance-tracking tool allows building owners and operators to measure and manage their buildings’ energy consumption.

A comparable tool has existed for the office sector for more than a decade. The tool will allow apartment owners to assess their portfolios’ energy performance, identify under-performing buildings, set investment priorities to make targeted energy efficiency improvements and earn recognition for achievements, according to the Washington, D.C.-based National Multifamily Housing Council.

Using Portfolio Manager, apartment firms can enter building square footage and whole-community energy and water data, as well as optional building attributes, to benchmark performance. The tool automatically uses this information to calculate useful metrics such as energy and water consumption and costs (both per sq. ft. and in total); greenhouse gas emissions associated with the community’s energy consumption; and weather-normalized energy intensity.

For more information on Energy Star for multifamily housing, click here: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=multifam_housing.bus_multifam_housing