Across the U.S. and Canada, an increasing number of jurisdictions are adopting Building Performance Standards (BPS) — regulations that require building owners to meet defined targets for energy efficiency, water usage and greenhouse gas emissions. In parallel, many cities and states have introduced Audit, Tune-Up and Retro-commissioning policies, which mandate technical upgrades for underperforming buildings.
These programs vary significantly in terms of scope, applicable building types and reporting requirements, making compliance a complex and evolving challenge for many organizations.
The table below provides a brief overview of BPS programs that have been adopted or are currently in development, along with key details for each program.
| Jurisdiction: State/ Province | Jurisdiction: City/ County Name | Program Name | Program Type | Covered Buildings | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | Berkeley | Building Emissions Saving Ordinance (BESO) | Audit & Tune-Up | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial, Industrial GFA Threshold: 25,000 sq. ft. M: 5+ dwelling units | Overview Program Site Regulation Text |
| California | Brisbane | Building Efficiency Program Beyond Benchmarking | Audit / Retro-Commissioning (A/RCx) | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial, Industrial GFA Threshold: 10,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| California | Chula Vista | Building Energy Saving (Ordinance 3498) | Building Performance Standard; Audit & Tune-Up | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial, Industrial GFA Threshold: 20,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| California | Los Angeles | Existing Buildings Energy and Water Efficiency (EBEWE) (Ordinance No. 18) | Audit / Retro-Commissioning (A/RCx) | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial, Industrial GFA Threshold: 20,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Site Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| California | San Francisco | Existing Buildings Energy Performance Ordinance | Audit / Retro-Commissioning (A/RCx) | Property Type: Commercial, Industrial GFA Threshold: 10,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| California | San Jose | Energy and Water Building Performance Ordinance (EWBPO) | Audit & Tune-Up | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 20,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Site Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| California | Santa Monica | BPS Coalition: BPS Development | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial, Industrial GFA Threshold: 20,000 sq. ft. Not yet adopted | Program Website |
| California | West Hollywood | Equitable Building Performance Standards (EBPS) | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial, Industrial GFA Threshold: 20,000 sq. ft. M: 5+ dwelling units | Overview Program Website Regulation Text |
| California | Statewide | Water and Energy Savings Act (SB 48) | Building Performance Standard | Policy in development | Regulation Text |
| Colorado | Aspen | Building IQ | Building Performance Standard | Policy in development | Program Website Regulation Text |
| Colorado | Boulder | Boulder Building Performance Ordinance (Ordinance No. 8071) | Audit / Retro-Commissioning (A/RCx) | Property Type: Commercial, Industrial GFA Threshold: 20,000 sq. ft. (10,000 sq. ft. for newer buildings) | Overview Program Site Regulation Text |
| Colorado | Denver | Energize Denver (Bill 21-1310) | Building Performance Standard; Audit & Tune-Up | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 25,000 sq. ft. Note: Buildings 5,000 – 24,999 sq. ft. do not need to meet EUI targets but are required to demonstrate lighting improvements or renewable energy utilization | Overview Program Website Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| Colorado | Fort Collins | Building Performance Standards Proposal | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 5,000 sq. ft. Policy adoption halted | Program Website Regulation Text |
| Colorado | Statewide | Energy Performance for Buildings (HB 21-1286) | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 50,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Site Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| Florida | Miami | Building Efficiency 305 (BE305) | Audit & Tune-Up | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 50,000 sq. ft. M: 6+ units | Overview Program Site Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| Florida | Orlando | Building Energy & Water Efficiency Strategy (BEWES) | Audit & Tune-Up | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 50,000 sq. ft. Note: The City of Orlando is developing BEWES 2.0, a Building Performance Standard | Overview Program Website Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| Georgia | Atlanta | Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Ordinance (CBEEO) | Audit / Retro-Commissioning (A/RCx) | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 25,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| Illinois | Chicago | BPS Coalition: BPS development | Building Performance Standard | Not yet adopted | N/A |
| Illinois | Evanston | Healthy Buildings Ordinance | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 20,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| Maryland | Montgomery County | Building Energy Use Benchmarking and Performance Standards (Bill 16-21) | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 25,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Site Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| Maryland | Statewide | Climate Solutions Now Act (SB 528) | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 35,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| Massachusetts | Boston | Building Emissions Reduction & Disclosure Ordinance (Chpt VII, Sec 7-2.1 & 7-2.2) | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: M: 15+ units, C: 20,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Covered Buildings List Regulation Text |
| Massachusetts | Cambridge | Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (Ordinance 2021-26) | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: Multifamily ≥ 50 units, Commercial ≥ 25,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| Massachusetts | Newton | Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Commercial, Industrial GFA Threshold: 20,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Regulation Text |
| Massachusetts | Statewide | Better Buildings Act (SB 2178) | Building Performance Standards | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 20,000 sq. ft. Not yet adopted | Overview Regulation Text |
| Massachusetts | Watertown | Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance Watertown | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 20,000 sq. ft. Policy in development | Program Website Regulation Text |
| Minnesota | Edina | Efficient Building Ordinance | Audit / Retro-Commissioning (A/RCx) | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 25,000 – 49,999 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Regulation Text |
| Minnesota | Minneapolis | Energy Evaluation Requirements | Audit / Retro-Commissioning (A/RCx) | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 50,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| Minnesota | Statewide | Building Energy Performance Standards (HF 3179) | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 50,000 sq. ft. Not yet adopted | Regulation Text |
| Missouri | St. Louis | Building Energy Performance Standards (Ordinance 71132) | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 50,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Covered Buildings List Regulation Text |
| Nevada | Reno | Energy and Water Efficiency Program (ReEnergize Reno) | Audit & Tune-Up | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 30,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| New York | New York | Local Law 87: Energy Audits and Retro-commissioning | Audit / Retro-Commissioning (A/RCx) | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 50,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Regulation Text |
| New York | New York | Local Law 97: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 25,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Regulation Text |
| Ontario | Toronto | Building Emissions Performance Standards | Building Performance Standard | Not yet adopted | Program Website Regulation Text |
| Oregon | Portland | HEART BPS | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial Not yet adopted | Program Website |
| Oregon | Statewide | Energy Performance Standards (HB 3409) | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: M: 35,000 sq. ft. C: 20,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Regulation Text |
| Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | Building Energy Performance Policy | Audit & Tune-Up | Property Type: Commercial GFA Threshold: 50,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| Rhode Island | Statewide | Building Decarbonization Act (SB 0091) | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 25,000 sq. ft. Not yet adopted | Regulation Text |
| Texas | Austin | Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure (ECAD) | Audit / Retro-Commissioning (A/RCx) | Property Type: Multifamily, Single-Family GFA Threshold: Multifamily ≥ 10,000 sq. ft. and 5+ residential units, Single-Family – All (upon sale) | Overview Program Website Regulation Text |
| Utah | Salt Lake City | Commercial Building Benchmarking and Market Transparency (Elevate Buildings) | Audit / Retro-Commissioning (A/RCx) | Property Type: Commercial GFA Threshold: 25,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| Washington | Seattle | Building Tune-Ups (SMC 22.930) | Audit & Tune-Up | Property Type: Commercial GFA Threshold: 50,000 sq. ft. Note: Seattle is sunsetting the Tune-Up requirements after the 2023-2026 compliance interval as the statewide Clean Buildings Performance Standard requirements phase in. | Overview Program Website Regulation Text |
| Washington | Seattle | Building Emissions Performance Standards | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 20,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Regulation Text |
| Washington | Statewide | Clean Buildings Performance Standard (HB 1257) | Building Performance Standard; Audit & Tune-Up | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 20,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| Washington, D.C. | Washington, D.C. | Building Energy Performance Standards and Benchmarking (D.C. Law 22-257) | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Multifamily, Commercial GFA Threshold: 50,000 sq. ft., 25,000 sq. ft., 10,000 sq. ft.(tiered) | Overview Program Website Regulation Text |
| Wisconsin | Madison | Building Energy Savings Program (BESP) | Audit & Tune-Up | Property Type: Commercial GFA Threshold: 50,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| British Columbia, Canada | Vancouver | Greenhouse Gas and Energy Limits By-Law (No. 13472) | Building Performance Standard | Property Type: Commercial GFA Threshold: 100,000 sq. ft. | Overview Program Website Covered Building List Regulation Text |
| Québec, Canada | Provincewide | Environmental Performance of Buildings Act (Bill 41) | Building Performance Standard | Policy in development | Program Website Regulation Text |
Yardi Energy Solutions® offers a comprehensive suite that simplifies compliance, enhances operational efficiency and reduces energy costs. Offerings include:
•Utility Invoice Processing – Simplify the process of collecting and managing utility consumption data.
•ENERGY STAR® Services – Streamline benchmarking, verify whole-property data and achieve ENERGY STAR Certification for your properties.
•Building Performance Standards – Track, monitor and streamline your BPS compliance process.
•Energy Procurement – Optimize energy costs and reduce carbon emissions.
•Energy Efficiency – Improve building energy performance with real-time data and timely alerts, detect HVAC system issues and reduce energy waste.
To learn more about how each of these solutions can support your sustainability and compliance goals, please visit yardi.com/energy
The post BPS Programs appeared first on Yardi.