Property Size

All existing buildings 50,000 Sq. Ft. and above.

Annual benchmarking reporting requires 12 calendar months of whole-building energy and building use data. For example, in 2026, building owners must report 12 months of 2025 data.

June 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.

Building Performance Colorado requires covered properties to meet BPS targets in 2026 and 2030. These targets can be achieved by completing one of the following compliance pathways:

• Meet the site energy use intensity (EUI) targets set based on the building’s use type
• Meet the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets set based on the building’s use type
• Achieve a site EUI reduction of 13% in 2026 and 29% in 2030 from its 2021 baseline EUI data
• Achieve a GHG emissions reduction of 13% in 2026 and 29% in 2030 from its 2021 baseline GHG emissions data

Buildings owners were required to select their pathway by July 1, 2025. Pathway adjustment requests can be submitted up to December 31, 2026.

BPS Due Date

Covered buildings must achieve their building type’s target or emissions reduction percentage by 2026 and 2030. Building owners will demonstrate 2026 compliance through their benchmarking report due June 1, 2027, which reports the building’s energy use from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026.

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

Under Building Performance Colorado, data verification is required when the building requests a compliance pathway adjustment.

Violations of Building Performance Colorado’s benchmarking requirements will result in a $500 fine plus $2,000 per subsequent violation.

Failure to comply with Colorado’s BPS program will result in a $2,000 fine, plus $5,000 per subsequent violation.

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

We recognize that Building Performance Colorado 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 Building Performance Colorado 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.