San Francisco’s Existing Buildings Ordinance applies to existing non-residential buildings with 10,000 square feet or more of space that is heated or cooled and existing multifamily residential buildings with 50,000 sq ft or more of space that is heated or cooled. The Ordinance has two separate requirements:
Energy Benchmarking - due annually on April 1*
The building owner must report the total amount of energy that the building uses every year using the US Environmental Protection Agency’s free ‘ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager’ website. This process is called "energy benchmarking," and the benchmark report must be submitted to the San Francisco Department of the Environment through the Portfolio Manager by April 1st each year.
- How to Comply with Benchmarking in San Francisco
- How to Get Help with Benchmarking
- For language assistance, contact (415) 355-3700.
*Note: Benchmarking for residential buildings is due July 1 in 2019, and April 1 every year thereafter.
Energy Audit - required every 5 years for nonresidential buildings
The non-residential building owner must ensure the non-residential building receives an energy audit by a qualified energy professional every five years. The professional must hold one of the qualifications approved by the Department of Environment, and must examine the entire building. The audit provides the building owner with a list of specific opportunities to save money and save energy in the building, as well as any rebates that may be available.
- Overview of Energy Audits - What is an energy audit? What is required? What is the value for me?
- Minimum Qualifications for Energy Auditors and a List of Licensed Professionals
- For language assistance, contact (415) 355-3700.
For more information, please send your questions to [email protected] or contact us by phone at (415) 355-3750.
Resources
Overview of Existing Buildings Energy Ordinance (PDF)
Existing Buildings Energy Performance Ordinance Report Dataset (SF OpenData)
SF EBO Visualization courtesy of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory City Building Energy Saver Project
