Chicago building energy benchmarking
Every building disclosed under Chicago Energy Benchmarking Ordinance (Chicago Energy Benchmarking), graded and cross-linked. Covered buildings that fail to benchmark and report face fines of up to $100 plus $25 per day of violation under the ordinance.
Dataset updated . Source: Chicago Energy Benchmarking public disclosure.
The map
Chicago, colored by grade
Zoom in to reveal smaller buildings; markers color by ENERGY STAR grade (A green → D signal orange).
The report card
Grade distribution
ENERGY STAR scores banded A (85–100) / B (70–84) / C (55–69) / D (1–54); buildings without a score excluded.
Large buildings (≥ 50,000 sq ft)
Most efficient
| Building | Score | Site EUI | Floor area |
|---|---|---|---|
| RiverView Condominium Association | A100 | 41.9 kBtu/ft² | 1,135,720 sq ft |
| Cabrini Rowhomes | A100 | 14.5 kBtu/ft² | 744,162 sq ft |
| Sentral Michigan Avenue (ss009) | A100 | 40.1 kBtu/ft² | 463,454 sq ft |
| The Sexton Condominium Association | A100 | 29.7 kBtu/ft² | 449,107 sq ft |
| Transportation Building Condominium Association | A100 | 17.1 kBtu/ft² | 447,776 sq ft |
| 1000 W Washington Blvd | A100 | 24.3 kBtu/ft² | 438,065 sq ft |
| 110 W SUPERIOR ST | A100 | 42.3 kBtu/ft² | 345,904 sq ft |
| 3711 S VINCENNES AVE | A100 | 31.0 kBtu/ft² | 302,787 sq ft |
| 2144 N. Lincoln Park Condominium Association | A100 | 34.4 kBtu/ft² | 287,000 sq ft |
| 1922 W Ogden Ave | A100 | 49.3 kBtu/ft² | 258,445 sq ft |
Penalty exposure
Least efficient
| Building | Score | Site EUI | Floor area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Lakeside | D1 | 1296.4 kBtu/ft² | 1,279,228 sq ft |
| Trumbull Park Homes | D1 | 219.8 kBtu/ft² | 400,023 sq ft |
| Lake Meadows 6 | D1 | 195.4 kBtu/ft² | 363,053 sq ft |
| Digital Printer's Row | D1 | 714.4 kBtu/ft² | 342,883 sq ft |
| WGN Studios | D1 | 414.9 kBtu/ft² | 213,533 sq ft |
| Hotel Palomar Chicago | D1 | 219.6 kBtu/ft² | 159,103 sq ft |
| The Bridgeport Condominiums | D1 | 151.9 kBtu/ft² | 116,813 sq ft |
| 533 E 33RD PL | D1 | 238.0 kBtu/ft² | 107,500 sq ft |
| 555 E 33RD PL | D1 | 297.5 kBtu/ft² | 107,500 sq ft |
| Alden Lakeland Rehabilitation and Health Care Center | D1 | 212.7 kBtu/ft² | 97,280 sq ft |
Taxonomy
Property-type mix
| Property type | Buildings | Avg score | Avg site EUI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multifamily Housing | 1,515 | C62 | 72.0 kBtu/ft² |
| K-12 School | 543 | D45 | 72.7 kBtu/ft² |
| Office | 387 | C69 | 70.4 kBtu/ft² |
| Residential | 326 | –— | — |
| Commercial | 133 | –— | — |
| College/University | 92 | –— | 96.2 kBtu/ft² |
| Hotel | 88 | D51 | 110.1 kBtu/ft² |
| Senior Living Community | 59 | D47 | 102.5 kBtu/ft² |
| Retail Store | 50 | C60 | 75.7 kBtu/ft² |
| Supermarket/Grocery Store | 44 | C59 | 238.1 kBtu/ft² |
| Mixed Use Property | 40 | C59 | 98.2 kBtu/ft² |
| Strip Mall | 32 | –— | 97.9 kBtu/ft² |
| Laboratory | 32 | –— | 282.4 kBtu/ft² |
| Residence Hall/Dormitory | 25 | C64 | 83.6 kBtu/ft² |
| Hospital (General Medical & Surgical) | 25 | C56 | 229.9 kBtu/ft² |
| Other | 22 | –— | 89.7 kBtu/ft² |
| Medical Office | 18 | D49 | 104.0 kBtu/ft² |
| Other - Recreation | 18 | –— | 64.1 kBtu/ft² |
| Multifamily Housing | 14 | –— | — |
| Worship Facility | 14 | D30 | 222.0 kBtu/ft² |
Linked types have dedicated pages (25+ buildings).
The disclosure record
Reporting trend
| Year | Buildings reporting | Avg score | Avg site EUI | Total emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 243 | 70 | 109.7 kBtu/ft² | 2,959,289 tCO₂e |
| 2015 | 1,501 | 58 | 117.9 kBtu/ft² | 6,206,847 tCO₂e |
| 2016 | 2,735 | 60 | 92.1 kBtu/ft² | 7,215,244 tCO₂e |
| 2017 | 2,763 | 59 | 93.5 kBtu/ft² | 6,937,567 tCO₂e |
| 2018 | 3,340 | 55 | 110.7 kBtu/ft² | 6,289,058 tCO₂e |
| 2019 | 3,283 | 56 | 120.2 kBtu/ft² | 3,267,311 tCO₂e |
| 2020 | 4,402 | 58 | 97.2 kBtu/ft² | 7,205,005 tCO₂e |
| 2021 | 1,273 | 60 | 91.7 kBtu/ft² | 2,228,565 tCO₂e |
| 2022 | 3,797 | 57 | 94.4 kBtu/ft² | 4,027,014 tCO₂e |
| 2023 | 4,992 | 70 | 73.0 kBtu/ft² | 3,965,525 tCO₂e |
Honest data
Source caveats
- Chicago reports electricity and gas only as kBtu totals; kWh and therm figures are unit conversions, not source-reported values.
Frequently asked questions
How many buildings report energy use in Chicago?
3,852 Chicago buildings appear in the latest disclosure published under Chicago Energy Benchmarking Ordinance, of which 2,465 report an ENERGY STAR score (average 60).
What law requires Chicago buildings to disclose energy use?
Chicago Energy Benchmarking Ordinance — the Chicago Energy Benchmarking program. Covered buildings that fail to benchmark and report face fines of up to $100 plus $25 per day of violation under the ordinance.
Which Chicago building emits the most carbon?
Rush University Medical Center reported 97,340 tCO₂e in its latest disclosure year — the highest in Chicago's data. See the full biggest-emitters ranking.