City Properties

Properties for which each of the following is true:

• Is owned, leased, and occupied by the City
• Whose energy and/or water bills are paid in full or in part by the City
• Exceeds 10,000 Sq. Ft.

All fire stations are also included.

Local Agency Properties

Properties for which each of the following is true:

• Owned by a local agency of the state or other public entity
• Is not a covered city property
• Exceeds 30,000 Sq. Ft.

Other Covered Properties

Properties that are not a city or local agency property that exceed 30,000 Sq. Ft.

Annual benchmarking reporting requires 12 calendar months of whole-building energy, water, and building use data. For example, in 2025, building owners must report 12 months of 2024 data.

April 1, annually. Benchmarking reports must be submitted on an annual basis using the previous year’s data via ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®. This is the EPA’s benchmarking tool that is used for compliance reporting in most ordinances across the country.

Building Performance Standards (BPS) are often considered Phase II of these building energy use ordinances. After reporting your benchmarking data, many ordinances require you to make changes to the building’s operations or equipment to lower energy use over time.

Under Reno’s Energy and Water Efficiency Program, covered properties are required to meet one or more energy and water targets every seven years.

Energy Targets:

• ENERGY STAR score of 50 of higher
• An EUI equivalent or better than 50% of all covered properties of the same use type
• An ENERGY STAR score at least 15 points higher than the score it received in its baseline year
• Weather normalized source EUI was reduced by at least 10% relative to its baseline year

Water Targets:

• ENERGY STAR water score of 50 or higher
• A water use intensity (WUI) equivalent or better than 50% of all covered properties of the same use type
• An ENERGY STAR water score at least 15 points higher than the score received in its baseline year.

A building’s baseline year is the data from the first year it was required to benchmarking. Covered properties that fail to meet their energy and/or water targets must complete a performance pathway in accordance with Reno’s guidelines.

BPS Due Date

Mandatory City properties over 10,000 Sq. Ft. – 2026 and every 7 years thereafter.

Agency Properties and Private sector properties over 100,000 Sq. Ft. – 2028 and every 7 years thereafter.

Agency Properties and Private sector properties over 50,000 Sq. Ft. – 2029 and every 7 years thereafter.

Agency Properties and Private sector properties over 30,000 Sq. Ft. – 2032 and every 7 years thereafter.

Third-party data verification requires owners/managers of covered buildings to hire a third-party expert who will independently review and verify the building’s benchmarking data.

Under the Reno Energy and Water Efficiency Program, a qualified service company must verify that the property has achieved their energy and water targets for at least 2 of the 7 years following the baseline year.

Properties that have failed to completely and accurately report the information required under this ordinance will be:

• Issued a written notice for the violation
• If the information is not reported within 30 days of the written notice, they will be issued a penalty up to $100
• If the information is not reported within 30 days following the initial fine, they will be issued a penalty up to $250
• If the information is not reported within 30 days following the second fine, they will be issued a penalty up to $500.

CONTACT US HERE to learn more and get started with compliance.

Reno Energy and Water Efficiency compliance can be confusing and hard to navigate. Bringing on a consultant like VCA Green streamlines the entire process while ensuring accurate reporting. We also offer free consultations with our benchmarking clients to review the reports and identify inefficiencies to improve.

Ordinances such as Reno Energy and Water Efficiency Program are already in effect across the country, and deadlines are rapidly approaching. Retrieving historical building data will take time, especially when coordinating with property managers and utilities.

Waiting until the last minute risks missing compliance windows resulting in fines and enforcement penalties. VCA Green takes every measure to ensure complete and accurate data collection. The sooner you reach out, the sooner you will reach compliance.