TEC conducted outreach for the California Energy Commission (CEC) to spread the word about new AB802 compliance requirements to over 36,000 building owners. Through market segmentation, stakeholder analysis and outreach and education, TEC inspired action and was able to secure over 7,000 submissions during the first CEC reporting period.
In October 2015, the State of California passed Assembly Bill 802 (AB 802) to provide building owners access to their building energy use data from utilities, and to track consumption in their buildings. The goal of AB 802 is to better understand energy consumption through standardized energy use metrics and benchmarking. The California Energy Commission (CEC) launched this program, the largest benchmarking ordinance in the country, in 2018, and needed help spreading the word to over 36,000 building owners about new compliance requirements.
The Challenge
There are an estimated 30,000+ buildings that must comply with AB 802 benchmarking requirements. However, with no existing central database in California, the CEC needed to identify the existing buildings required to comply with AB 802, find a way to contacting the building owners, and raise their awareness of new requirements.
Our Strategy
TEC supported AB 802’s roll-out by first laying the groundwork and generating a roster of existing building stock using GIS, assessor data, ESRI data, and private information such as CoSTAR. With market segmentation and stakeholder analysis, we identified the strategies that would efficiently and effectively reach the largest number of target audiences possible, including building owners, public agencies, utilities statewide, energy benchmarking consultants, labor groups, and industry organizations.
Outreach strategies included producing print and online outreach materials, engagement via webinars, Q&A live support, in-person presentations, and email communications.
The first wave of outreach was directed to the nonresidential sector due to the June 1, 2018 compliance deadline. The next phase of outreach focuses on the multifamily sector in
preparation for their June 1, 2019 compliance deadline.
Results: 7,000+ submissions for the first AB 802 reporting period
Despite the brief, 5-week window of opportunity provided for outreach before the first compliance deadline, TEC successfully identified the best strategies for outreach and provided relevant compliance information for thousands of Californians. The state now has insights into over 1 billion square feet of buildings, just in the first year of reporting.
7,000+
Benchmarking submissions received
1,125
Webinar attendees
27,000+
Emails delivered
800+
Compliance support email exchanges
What’s Next
After completing an evaluation on nonresidential sector outreach efforts, TEC will turn to the next phase of outreach to drive multifamily sector AB 802 compliance. With successful implementation AB 802 benchmarking, energy data is back in the hands of the public, so communities can better plan for a low-carbon, decentralized energy future. Learn more about the Building Energy Benchmarking Program here.
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