Portfolio Manager - All Requests Suspended for Energy Star Scores Until Early 2019

I researched this challenge a little further and became aware of this ruling that basically answers my question.  I am posting because I felt there would be others that find this information helpful. Here is the link:   LEED Interpretation 10473 <https://www.usgbc.org/leedaddenda/10473> that addresses this issue.

Rating System

LEED O+M: Existing Buildings, LEED O+M: Schools, LEED O+M: Retail, LEED O+M: Data Centers, LEED O+M: Hospitality, LEED O+M: Warehouses and Distribution Centers, LEED O+M: Multifamily

Rating System Version

v4 - LEED v4, v3 - LEED 2009

Ref Guide Name and Edition v4:

Building Operations and Maintenance, v4 edition

Inquiry

As stated on the ENERGY STAR website (https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/facility-owners-managers/existing-b...), the EPA is in the process of updating the Portfolio Manager tool to incorporate CBECS data from the results of the 2012 survey. At this time, EPA will also update: source energy conversion factors used in all ENERGY STAR score models; the underlying ENERGY STAR models for a number of property types; and benchmarking options for data centers. The EPA has indicated that there is no way to forecast the change in score for any particular property or property type. Is there an alternative approach project teams registered to pursue certification under LEED EB O+M v2009 and v4 can take in order to not be penalized by these updates under EA prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance and EA credit Optimize Energy Performance?

Ruling

Projects meeting the requirements below may optionally assess performance of EA prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance and EA credit Optimize Energy Performance based on the current Portfolio Manager tool and the performance of the building prior to the August 2018 updates. In order to pursue this approach, project teams must download the necessary documentation from Portfolio Manager (e.g., Data Verification Checklist, proof of weather normalized source EUI, etc.) before the updates go into effect (scheduled for August 2018). After the update, previous scores, including all historical scores, will no longer be accessible.

This approach is available to projects that started the last 12-months of the initial certification or recertification performance period prior to the date that Portfolio Manager was temporarily shut down to incorporate the planned updates (scheduled for August 2018), meaning that the project’s certification performance period ends on or before August 2019. 

• For buildings eligible to receive an ENERGY STAR score, performance is determined based on the ENERGY STAR score achieved prior to the August, 2018 updates. The ENERGY STAR score must be demonstrated through information printed from Portfolio Manager prior to the updates (e.g., Data Verification Checklist). 

• For buildings not eligible to receive an ENERGY STAR score under LEED EB O+M v2009, performance is determined based on the weather-normalized source EUI achieved prior to the August 2018 updates compared to the national average source EUI data provided in the current EAp2/EAc1 Case 2 Calculator for v2009 projects. The project’s weather-normalized source EUI must be demonstrated through information printed from Portfolio Manager prior to the updates: a screen shot from the Portfolio Manager website documenting the weather normalized source EUI value; or a custom output report including the weather-normalized source EUI). This information, along with the Data Verification Checklist and Case 2 Calculator, is required.

• For buildings not eligible to receive an ENERGY STAR score under LEED O+M v4, performance is determined based on the weather-normalized source EUI achieved prior to the August 2018 updates compared to the national median source EUI data provided in the Portfolio Manager tool. The Data Verification Checklist documenting the “% Diff from National Median Source EUI" is sufficient to document performance.

• In all cases, the 12-month energy performance period used for this allowance must end within the 60 days prior to the scheduled update. All space attributes (floor area, space types, occupancy, etc.) must be up to date and accurate at the time. 

• Sufficient information that aligns with the 12-month performance period used for this allowance must be provided. If information for the 12-month performance period used for this allowance differs from that for the remainder of the submittal (i.e., number of workers, operating hours, changes in space use such as vacancy and space type, etc.) a narrative justifying these differences must be provided.

Our building are all identical offices, and the scores only dropped a couple of points when Portfolio Manager update in August of 2018.  Luckily, I had saved the data in July of 2018, so I believe we will by okay.  I hope it stays this way until we submit in February.  I appreciate your further clarification regarding this issue.

Any idea what projects that are supposed to do when submitting in January 2019, with the Government shut-down and Port. Man. being unavailable?  For example, I need to send the project energy details to my Green-e contact and purchase, but do not have access to the data to create a report.