New interface will save customers time and improve accuracySPOKANE, Wash., Feb 25, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- To help commercial customers benchmark the energy efficiency level of their building, Avista has made it easy to upload monthly energy information into the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Energy Star(R) Portfolio Manager System for evaluation of a building's energy performance.

The Energy Star(R) Portfolio Manager system, used by qualifying non-residential building owners, is an interactive energy management tool that compares the efficiency of a building against similar buildings. A building's benchmark score can provide a starting point for energy efficiency projects such as retro-commissioning or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

Avista's new interface will automatically upload 12 months of energy usage data and continue uploading the monthly information into the Automated Benchmarking Service, an online tool that supports the Energy Star(R) Portfolio Manager system. The result is baseline data to help building owners identify a poorly performing building and the means for comparing the performance of similar buildings.

The Energy Star(R) Portfolio Manager supports these building types:

• Office, financial, data centers and garages
• College and K-12 school buildings
• Medical and health care facilities
• Residence halls and dormitories
• Multi-family housing
• Hotels and motels
• Manufacturing and industrial buildings
• Retail stores
• Houses of Worship
• Courthouses
• Supermarkets
• Warehouses

"The seamless interface between Avista and the Energy Star(R) Portfolio Manager system will save time and improve benchmarking accuracy for all of our commercial customers," said Bruce Folsom, Avista's director of energy efficiency programming. "We're offering this new tool to help our Washington commercial customers meet deadlines mandated by Washington State Senate Bill 5854, but Avista commercial customers in Idaho and Oregon participating in the Energy Star(R) Portfolio Manager system will also benefit from our new streamlined process."

Avista offers a number of rebates and incentives, including on-site energy audits, to help commercial customers use their benchmarking information to guide energy efficiency improvements to their facilities. Avista has offered energy efficiency programs to customers for over 30 years. Generally it costs less to help customers reduce their usage through energy efficiency programs than to acquire additional, more costly energy resources to meet the growing energy needs of customers.

Instructions on how to get started with the Automated Benchmarking Service and links to Energy Star(R) Portfolio Manager System is available at www.avistautilities.com/business/benchmarking/Pages/default.aspx, Information on Avista's energy efficiency program options for commercial and residential customers is available at www.everylittlebit.com.

Avista Corp. is an energy company involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses. Avista Utilities is our operating division that provides electric service to 356,000 homes and businesses and natural gas to 316,000 homes and businesses in three Western states, serving more than 485,000 customers. Avista's primary, non-regulated subsidiary is Advantage IQ. Our stock is traded under the ticker symbol "AVA." For more information about Avista, please visit www.avistacorp.com.

Avista Corp. and the Avista Corp. logo are trademarks of Avista Corporation.

SOURCE Avista Corp.