Improve the Performance of Your Building

As policies for energy efficiency and emissions from existing buildings evolve, it is becoming increasingly important for building owners and operators to incorporate high-performance operations and maintenance and strategic decarbonization planning.



Thoughtful planning can result in successful retrofits that reduce energy costs, increase tenant satisfaction, raise the value of your building, and future-proof against likely policy changes.

More Resources for Building Owners and Managers

Benchmarking & Performance Standards Compliance 

• The Hub's Energy Benchmarking Guide provides building owners with details of benchmarking policies in different Illinois jurisdictions, compliance resources, including step-by-step guides, reporting tools, and energy efficiency solutions to help them meet state benchmarking requirements, access utility rebates, and implement cost-saving improvements for their commercial and multifamily properties.
• Find a benchmarking service provider on the Hub's Chicago benchmarking and verification services provider Directory.

Financing Resources and Incentives

• The Hub's Funding and Financing Guide curates grants, financing and rebate/incentive programs available in Illinois that can help offset upfront costs of building performance improvements.
• The Illinois Climate Bank’s mission is to accelerate private capital investment into clean energy projects while ensuring that benefits reach communities across all geographic, racial, ethnic, gender, and income-level backgrounds. The Climate Bank funding supports a wide range of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and decarbonization projects across the state.

Implementation Guides

• The Hub’s Building Performance and Decarbonization Guide provides building owners and facility managers with practical strategies and step-by-step guidance for improving energy efficiency, reducing operational costs, and meeting state benchmarking requirements through building retrofits and system upgrades.
• USGBC, ASHRAE, and NYSERDA developed their Guide to Strategic Decarbonization Planning, which integrates planning, budgeting, and implementation in order to enable deep reductions in operational greenhouse gas emissions.
• The Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Solutions Center provides building owners and facility managers collection of proven energy efficiency solutions, financing tools, technical resources, and case studies to help implement building improvements that reduce energy costs while meeting state benchmarking and performance requirements.
• The William J. Worthen Foundation’s Building Decarbonization Practice Guide provides building owners and facility managers with practical, case study-based strategies for achieving zero carbon buildings, covering everything from design and construction considerations to specific guidance for multifamily, commercial, and institutional buildings.

Operations & Maintenance Guide

• The Hub’s Operations & Maintenance Best Practices for Energy Management guide outlines O&M procedures designed to increase energy and operational efficiency while improving occupant comfort.

General Resource Libraries

• The Building Decarbonization Coalition's Resource Library offers Illinois-specific guides, case studies, policy briefs, technical reports, and financing tools that help building owners, facility managers, and policymakers navigate the transition to clean energy buildings through electrification, energy efficiency, and decarbonization strategies.
• The Institute for Market Transformation's (IMT’s) Resource Library provides guides, toolkits, case studies, and policy briefs on building performance standards, energy benchmarking, and decarbonization strategies to help improve building efficiency while meeting compliance requirements and accessing available incentives.
• The Building Performance Association's Resource Library provides a collection of technical guides, webinars, case studies, and tools focused on energy efficiency, building science, and retrofit strategies to improve building performance while reducing operational costs and environmental impact.
• RMI’s Research and Analysis resources include guides, case studies, and analytical tools for implementing cost-effective building electrification strategies, accessing financing options, and developing phased approaches to achieve zero-carbon buildings while maintaining affordability.