The City of Newton Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) is a citywide energy benchmarking & disclosure program requiring owners of existing buildings to report energy and building use annually, using ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®. Effective as of December 2024, this program provides building owners insight into their building’s energy efficiency and helps meet the City of Newton’s goal for buildings to reach net zero by 2050.
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WHAT BUILDINGS ARE COVERED UNDER NEWTON BERDO?
Property Size
All existing buildings over 20,000 Sq. Ft.
WHAT INFORMATION IS REQUIRED FOR BENCHMARKING?
Annual benchmarking reporting requires 12 calendar months of whole-building energy, and building use data. For example, in 2025, building owners must report 12 months of 2024 data.
WHEN ARE NEWTON BERDO BENCHMARKING REPORTS DUE?
Non-residential buildings ≥ 100,000 Sq. Ft. report beginning September 15, 2025 and annually thereafter.
Non-residential and residential buildings ≥ 20,000 Sq. Ft. report beginning September 15, 2026 and annually thereafter.
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.
WHAT INFORMATION IS REQUIRED FOR BPS?
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 Newton BERDO only non-residential properties must reduce emissions. Buildings will need to be below the maximum threshold of emissions (measured in total kilograms of CO2e Emissions per square foot) for their designated building type.
WHEN ARE NEWTON BERDO BPS REPORTS DUE?
Covered buildings must reduce and report greenhouse gas emissions during the periods outlined below, or pay an alternative compliance payment (ACP). Each 5-year period is assigned an emission reduction target based on building use type. All must achieve and maintain net zero emissions from 2050 onwards.
Tier 1 Buildings
- Non-residential buildings over 100,000 Sq. Ft.
- Compliance cycles:
- 2027-2032
- 2033-2038
- 2039-2044
- 2045-2049
Tier 2 Buildings
- Non-residential buildings between 50,000 and 100,000 Sq. Ft.
- Compliance cycles:
- 2028-2033
- 2034-2039
- 2040-2044
- 2045-2049
Tier 3 Buildings
- Non-residential buildings between 35,000 and 50,000 Sq. Ft.
- Compliance cycles:
- 2029-2034
- 2035-2039
- 2040-2044
- 2045-2049
Tier 4 Buildings
- Non-residential buildings between 20,000 and 35,000 Sq. Ft.
- Compliance cycles:
- 2030-2034
- 2035-2039
- 2040-2044
- 2045-2049
WHAT IS THIRD-PARTY DATA VERIFICATION?
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 Newton BERDO, data verification is required in the building’s second year of benchmarking reporting and every 5 years thereafter.
WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES IF YOU DON'T COMPLY WITH NEWTON BERDO?
Newton BERDO violations may result in a $300 penalty per violation per day it continues. Each day a violation continues constitutes a separate offense.
HOW DO I COMPLY WITH NEWTON BERDO?
CONTACT US HERE to learn more and get started with compliance. We perform benchmarking, third-party verification, and building performance services.
Newton BERDO compliance can be confusing and hard to navigate. Bringing on a consultant like Green Econome 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.
WHEN SHOULD I START NEWTON BERDO COMPLIANCE?
While each service varies, the process of benchmarking, or analyzing data, can take 3-6 months on average. Ordinances such as Newton BERDO 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. Green Econome takes every measure to ensure complete and accurate data collection. The sooner you reach out, the sooner you will reach compliance.
NEWTON BERDO RESOURCES
Policy
Newton Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance
Bill Text
Ordinance No. C-55
Enforcing Agency
City of Newton
GREEN ECONOME PROCESS
With every phase of the process, Green Econome’s experienced and knowledgeable team is here to guide you on the results, options, and path forward to meet your compliance goals.
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