ENERGY STAR's Portfolio Manager tool is continually being improved upon to allow building owners and managers to more accurately track their property's utility usage. This month saw the program’s newest expansion with the addition of demand tracking. Users will now be able to track their buildings' monthly electric demand through the online tool. Total usage and cost were previous data points, but now building operators will be able to view a more nuanced picture of their properties' energy footprint. Utilities assess both the quantity and the rate of electricity consumed when charging their customers. Electric demand refers to the maximum amount of electrical energy consumed at a given time, and is measured in kilowatts (kW). Depending on your maximum kilowatt usage, you will be charged at a rate specific to that maximum usage threshold. You can find all of this information broken out on your utility bill. Portfolio Manager now allows you to track both your maximum usage each month in kW as well as the demand cost. It is fairly straightforward to do so. When viewing your property's profile click on the Energy tab. Then select the meter for which you want to enter demand data. You can then enter your maximum kW for each bill as well as the $ amount for the rate at which you are charged. If you have 12 months of demand data entered, Portfolio Manager also allows you to generate reports on your demand metrics. This will assess your entire property, not just one meter. Some of the reports you can generate include: