At a glance
125 South Wacker is a 641,962-square-foot office building at 125 S Wacker Drive in Chicago, Illinois, built in 1974. In its 2023 Chicago benchmarking disclosure it reported an ENERGY STAR score of 66 out of 100 (grade C), a site energy-use intensity of 51.4 kBtu/ft² and 4,620 tCO₂e of greenhouse-gas emissions. That score is higher than 33% of the 320 scored office buildings in Chicago.
Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance · reporting year 2023
Benchmarking record
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ENERGY STAR score | 66 (band C) |
| Site EUI | 51.4 kBtu/ft² |
| Source EUI | 144.0 kBtu/ft² |
| GHG emissions | 4,620 tCO₂e |
| GHG intensity | 7.2 kgCO₂e/ft² |
| Electricity | 9,677,277 kWh |
| Water use | 2,551 kgal |
| Gross floor area | 641,962 sq ft |
| Source record | chicago:101867:2023 |
The disclosure history
Year over year
| Year | Score | Δ | Site EUI | GHG emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023latest | 66 | -1 | 51.4 kBtu/ft² | 4,620 tCO₂e |
| 2022 | 67 | -2 | 52.1 kBtu/ft² | 4,402 tCO₂e |
| 2021 | 69 | -5 | 50.0 kBtu/ft² | 4,583 tCO₂e |
| 2020 | 74 | +13 | 45.9 kBtu/ft² | 4,595 tCO₂e |
| 2019 | 61 | +9 | 63.6 kBtu/ft² | — |
| 2018 | 52 | -21 | 62.4 kBtu/ft² | 6,663 tCO₂e |
| 2017 | 73 | -15 | 63.2 kBtu/ft² | 7,500 tCO₂e |
| 2016 | 88 | +13 | 46.4 kBtu/ft² | 5,562 tCO₂e |
| 2015 | 75 | +12 | 59.0 kBtu/ft² | 7,712 tCO₂e |
| 2014 | 63 | 68.0 kBtu/ft² | 8,822 tCO₂e |
Compliance context
Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance
Covered buildings that fail to benchmark and report face fines of up to $100 plus $25 per day of violation under the ordinance.
Ownership
No owning organisation shown. Names of private individuals in the disclosure are not published here.
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Location
- Address
- 125 S Wacker Drive
- City
- Chicago
- State
- Illinois
- ZIP
- 60606
- Coordinates
- 41.72598, -87.59311
Within ~1 km
Nearby benchmarked buildings
- 850 Eastwoodscore 98
Multifamily Housing · 244,164 sq ft
Multifamily Housing · 192,927 sq ft
See also: most efficient in Chicago · biggest emitters
How does 125 South Wacker compare with other office buildings in Chicago?
The latest disclosures cover 387 office buildings in Chicago, out of 3,852 buildings citywide. 125 South Wacker's ENERGY STAR score of 66 compares with an average of 69 across the 320 that report a score; it scores higher than 33% of them and lower than 66%. Its site EUI of 51.4 kBtu/ft² is about 27% below the average of 70.4 kBtu/ft² — it uses less energy per square foot than the typical building in that group. Its emissions intensity of 7.2 kgCO₂e/ft² is roughly in line with the group average of 7.5 kgCO₂e/ft².
At 641,962 sq ft, it is about 32% above the average floor area of 488,124 sq ft for those buildings. It was built in 1974, 18 years later than the group's average year built (1957). Across all 24 jurisdictions BuildingCensus covers, the 15,264 office buildings average an ENERGY STAR score of 73 and a site EUI of 59.3 kBtu/ft².
How has 125 South Wacker's energy performance changed over time?
BuildingCensus holds 10 Chicago disclosures for 125 South Wacker, covering report years 2014–2023. Its ENERGY STAR score went from 63 in 2014 to 66 in 2023 (+3 points); its best year on file was 2016, at 88. Site EUI moved from 68.0 kBtu/ft² (2014) to 51.4 kBtu/ft² (2023), a 24% decrease. Reported emissions went from 8,822 tCO₂e to 4,620 tCO₂e over the same span (down 48%).
What does an ENERGY STAR score of 66 mean?
ENERGY STAR scores run from 1 to 100 and are computed by the EPA's Portfolio Manager as a percentile against similar buildings nationwide, adjusted for climate, size and use: a score of 66 means the building performs better than about 66% of its national peers. BuildingCensus bands the score into report-card grades; 66 falls in band C — below median (55–69). It sits 9 points below 75, the threshold for ENERGY STAR certification. In Chicago, 35% of scored buildings are at 75 or above.
Site energy-use intensity (EUI) is the energy a building uses on site in a year divided by its floor area, in thousand Btu per square foot — lower is more efficient. 125 South Wacker's 51.4 kBtu/ft² across 641,962 sq ft works out to about 33 billion Btu (9,670 MWh-equivalent) in 2023. Its source EUI of 144.0 kBtu/ft² also counts the energy lost generating and delivering that power, which is why it is higher. The disclosure also reports 9,677,277 kWh of electricity and 2,551 thousand gallons of water for the year.
Which law requires 125 South Wacker to report its energy use?
125 South Wacker reports under the Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance, the legal basis of the Chicago Energy Benchmarking program, which publishes each covered building's annual benchmarking results. The record shown here is the report-year 2023 disclosure (source record chicago:101867:2023). Covered buildings that fail to benchmark and report face fines of up to $100 plus $25 per day of violation under the ordinance.
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- Office buildings in Chicago· 387 benchmarked
- All Chicago benchmarked buildings· Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance
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Frequently asked questions
What is 125 South Wacker's energy grade?
125 South Wacker scores 66 out of 100 on ENERGY STAR — band C, below median (55–69) — in its 2023 Chicago disclosure. Scores are national percentiles against similar buildings; 75+ qualifies for ENERGY STAR certification.
How much energy does 125 South Wacker use?
Its 2023 site energy-use intensity was 51.4 kBtu/ft² (144.0 kBtu/ft² source) across 641,962 sq ft, including 9,677,277 kWh of electricity.
What are 125 South Wacker's carbon emissions?
125 South Wacker reported 4,620 tCO₂e of greenhouse-gas emissions (7.2 kgCO₂e/ft²) for 2023.
Where is 125 South Wacker?
125 South Wacker is at 125 S Wacker Drive, in Chicago, Illinois 60606. Its coordinates are 41.72598, -87.59311 (latitude, longitude), as published in the Chicago Energy Benchmarking file.
How big is 125 South Wacker and when was it built?
125 South Wacker has 641,962 sq ft of gross floor area, as reported in its 2023 disclosure. The disclosure lists 1974 as its year built. It is classed as office.
Is 125 South Wacker covered by the Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance?
Yes — it appears in the 2023 Chicago Energy Benchmarking disclosure, which lists the buildings reporting under the Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance.
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About this data
Source: Chicago Energy Benchmarking (Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance), as published October 2, 2026. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: BuildingCensus, “125 South Wacker, Chicago, Illinois — 2023 benchmarking disclosure”, https://buildingcensus.com/buildings/chicago/125-south-wacker-5eec0629 (data as of October 2, 2026).