Building Performance Standards

Simplify building performance standards (BPS) compliance with Conservice

As climate-related risk & stakeholder demand for ESG increases, a growing number of cities, states, and provinces across North America are enacting Building Performance Standards (BPS). Unlike traditional benchmarking ordinances that require certain buildings to disclose energy and/or water consumption, BPS laws require buildings to meet measurable performance standards or improvements, typically reduced utility consumption or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

This page provides a basic overview of active BPS laws and their implementation timelines, as well as a list of jurisdictions that have indicated their intent to implement BPS laws and are in the process of developing them.

Boston, MA

Boston, MA Benchmarking

Name: BERDO 2.0

Reduction goal: 50% reduction by 2030; 100% reduction by 2050

Property type(s) covered:

  • Commercial
  • Multifamily

Implementation timeline:

  • 2025: Properties with 35,000+ sqft.
  • 2030: Properties with 20,000+ sqft.

Boulder, CO

Boulder, CO Benchmarking

Name: Building Performance Ordinance (BPO) Program

Reduction goal: 70% reduction by 2030; 100% reduction by 2035

Property type(s) covered:

  • Commercial
  • Industrial

Implementation timeline:

Retrocommissioning

  • June 1, 2025: Buildings with 20,000+ sqft.

RCx Measure Implementation

  • June 1, 2024: Buildings with 50,000+ sqft.
  • June 1, 2025: Buildings with 30,000+ sqft.
  • June 1, 2027: Buildings with 20,000+ sqft.

Lighting Upgrade

  • June 1, 2025: Buildings with 20,000+ sqft.

Brisbane, CA

Brisbane, CA Benchmarking

Name: Brisbane Building Efficiency Program (BBEP)

Reduction goal: 20% emissions reduction by 2034

Property type(s) covered:

  • Commercial
  • Multifamily
  • Industrial

Implementation timeline:

  • June 15, 2023: Commercial properties with 10,000+ sqft.
  • May 15, 2024: Multifamily & industrial properties with 10,000+ sqft.
  • May 15, 2028: All properties with 10,000+ sqft.
  • May 15, 2034: All properties with 10,000+ sqft.

Cambridge, MA

Cambridge, MA Benchmarking

Name: Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO)

Reduction goal: Net zero GHG emissions by 2035 for large commercial properties (100,000+ sqft.) and by 2050 for small commercial properties (25,000+ sqft.)

Property type(s) covered:

  • Commercial

Implementation timeline:

Compliance period 1 (2026 - 2029)

  • Properties with 100,000+ sqft.: Emissions will not exceed 80% of baseline
  • Properties with 25,000+ sqft.: Emissions will not exceed 100% of baseline

Chula Vista, CA

Chula Vista, CA benchmarking

Name: Building Energy Saving Ordinance, Ordinance 3498

Reduction goal: 55% reduction by 2030 (of 2005 levels)

Property type(s) covered:

  • Commercial
  • Multifamily

Implementation timeline:

  • May 20, 2023: Buildings with 50,000+ sqft.
  • March 20, 2026: Buildings between 20,000 - 50,000 sqft.

Colorado, Statewide

Colorado Statewide Benchmarking

Reduction goal: 7% reduction by 2026; 20% reduction by 2030 (from a 2021 energy use baseline)

Property type(s) covered:

  • Commercial
  • Multifamily

Implementation timeline:

  • First reporting deadline in June 2024 with an annual reporting frequency

Denver, CO

Denver, CO Benchmarking

Name: Energize Denver (High-Performance Existing Buildings Program)

Reduction goal: 40% reduction by 2025, 60% reduction by 2030, 100% reduction by 2040 (of 2005 levels)

Property type(s) covered:

  • Commercial
  • Multifamily

Implementation timeline:

  • 2024: Buildings with 25,000+ sqft.
  • Additional Performance Targets in 2027 and 2030

Maryland, Statewide

Maryland, Statewide Benchmarking

Name: Maryland's Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS)

Reduction goal: 20% reduction by 2030; net zero emissions by 2040

Property type(s) covered:

  • All properties with 35,000+ sqft.

Implementation timeline:

  • Owners of covered buildings will need to report data to Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) each year beginning in 2025
  • Historic properties, public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools, manufacturing buildings, and agricultural buildings are exempt

Montgomery County, MD

Montgomery County, MD Benchmarking

Name: Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS)

Property type(s) covered:

  • Commercial
  • Multifamily

Implementation timeline:

  • 2028: Commercial properties with 50,000+ sqft.
  • 2030: Commercial properties with 25,000+ sqft.; Multifamily properties with 250,000+ sqft.
  • 2031: Multifamily properties with 25,000+ sqft.

New York, NY

New York, NY Benchmarking

Name: Local Law 97

Reduction goal: 40% reduction by 2030; 80% reduction by 2050 (of 2005 levels)

Property type(s) covered:

  • Commercial
  • Industrial
  • Multifamily

Implementation timeline:

  • 2024: Buildings with 25,000+ sqft.
  • Additional Performance Targets in 2030, 2035, 2040, and 2050

Oregon, Statewide

Oregon, Statewide

Name: House Bill 3409

Property type(s) covered:

  • Commercial
  • Industrial
  • Rental

Implementation timeline:

  • June 1, 2028: Tier 1 properties with 200,000+ sqft.
  • June 1, 2029: Tier 1 properties with 90,000+ sqft.
  • June 1, 2030: Tier 1 properties with 35,000+ sqft.

San Jose, CA

San Jose, CA Benchmarking

Name: Beyond Benchmarking

Reduction goal: Carbon neutral by 2030

Property type(s) covered:

  • Commercial
  • Multifamily

Implementation timeline:

Last digit of APN: 0 or 1

  • May 1, 2024: Buildings between 20,000 and 49,999 sqft.

Last digit of APN: 2 or 3

  • May 1, 2024: Buildings with 50,000+ sqft.

Seattle, WA

Seattle, WA Benchmarking

Name: Building Energy Performance Standards

Reduction goal: 37% reduction by 2030; carbon neutral by 2050

Property type(s) covered:

  • Commercial
  • Multifamily

Implementation timeline:

  • October 1, 2031: Buildings with 220,000+ sqft.
  • October 1, 2032: Buildings with 90,000+ sqft.
  • October 1, 2033: Buildings with 50,000+ sqft.
  • October 1, 2034: Buildings with 30,000+ sqft.
  • October 1, 2035: Buildings with 20,000+ sqft.

St. Louis, MO

St. Louis, MO Benchmarking

Name: St. Louis Building Energy Performance Standard (BEPS)

Reduction goal: 100% reduction by 2050

Property type(s) covered:

  • Commercial
  • Multifamily
  • Affordable Housing

Implementation timeline:

Commercial & Residential

  • 2025: Buildings with 50,000+ sqft.

Affordable Housing & Houses of Worship

  • 2027: Buildings with 50,000+ sqft.

Vancouver, Canada

Vancouver, Canada Benchmarking

Name: Annual Greenhouse Gas & Energy Limits By-Law

Reduction goal: 50% emissions reduction by 2030 (of 2007 levels)

Property type(s) covered:

  • Commercial

Implementation timeline:

Commercial Office & Retail

  • June 1, 2027: Buildings with 100,000+ sqft.

Washington, DC

Washington, DC Benchmarking

Name: DC Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS)

Reduction goal: 50% reduction by 2032; 100% reduction by 2050 (of 2005 levels)

Property type(s) covered:

  • Commercial
  • Multifamily

Implementation timeline:

  • 2025: Municipal buildings with 10,000+ sqft.
  • 2025: Buildings with 50,000+ sqft.
  • 2027: Buildings with 25,000+ sqft.
  • 2030: Buildings with 10,000+ sqft.

Washington, Statewide

Washington Statewide Benchmarking

Name: Clean Buildings Performance Standard

Property type(s) covered:

  • Commercial
  • Multifamily

Implementation timeline:

Tier 1: Buildings with 50,000+ sqft. (excludes multifamily)

  • June 1, 2026: Buildings with 220,000+ sqft.
  • June 1, 2027: Buildings with 90,000+ sqft.
  • June 1, 2028: Buildings with 50,000+ sqft.

Tier 2: Buildings with 20,000 - 50,000 sqft. (includes multifamily)

  • June 1, 2027: Buildings with 20,000+ sqft.

Reno, NV (voluntary)

Reno, NV Benchmarking

Name: ReEnergize Reno

Reduction goal: 20% reduction of energy & water use by 2025

Property type(s) covered:

  • Commercial
  • Industrial
  • Multifamily

Implementation timeline:

  • April 1st, 2026

Aspen, CO (in development)

California, Statewide (in development)

Fort Collins, CO (in development)

Grand Rapids, MI (in development)

Illinois, Statewide (in development)

Portland, OR (in development)

Santa Monica, CA (in development)

Ann Arbor, MI (in pre-development)

Annapolis, MD (in pre-development)

Atlanta, GA (in pre-development)

Berkeley, CA (in pre-development)

Chicago, IL (in pre-development)

Columbus, OH (in pre-development)

Evanston, IL (in pre-development)

Ithaca, NY (in pre-development)

Kansas City, MO (in pre-development)

Los Angeles, CA (in pre-development)

Milwaukee, WI (in pre-development)

Orlando, FL (in pre-development)

Philadelphia, PA (in pre-development)

Pittsburgh, PA (in pre-development)

Sacramento, CA (in pre-development)

San Diego, CA (in pre-development)

San Francisco, CA (in pre-development)

Savannah, GA (in pre-development)

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Please note: BPS laws are a relatively new development; as such, the status and number of laws is continuously changing. The information on this page is accurate to the best of our knowledge. This page was last modified on 4/23/2024 and will be updated regularly to reflect evolving and emerging regulations.