The City of Austin Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure (ECAD) is a citywide energy benchmarking & disclosure program requiring owners of existing buildings to report energy use annually, using ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®. Effective as of June 2012, this program provides building owners insight into their building’s energy efficiency and helps meet the City of Austin’s Climate Action Plan goals.
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WHAT BUILDINGS ARE COVERED UNDER AUSTIN ECAD?
Property Size
- Commercial buildings 10,000 Sq. Ft. or larger (required to benchmark)
- Multifamily facilities with 5 or more units (required to perform an energy audit)
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 AUSTIN ECAD BENCHMARKING REPORTS DUE?
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.
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.
Austin ECAD requires multifamily properties to perform an energy audit by an ECAD energy professional every 10 years. High Energy Use properties that use 150% more energy than the average use of similar properties must reduce their consumption by 20%, and provide a report to current and prospective residents.
WHEN ARE AUSTIN ECAD AUDITS DUE?
Under Austin ECAD, multifamily properties must perform an energy audit 10 years after it completes construction, and every 10 years thereafter.
WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES IF YOU DON'T COMPLY WITH AUSTIN ECAD?
Austin ECAD violations will result in fines up to $2,000. Each violation constitutes a separate, distinct offense.
HOW DO I COMPLY WITH AUSTIN ECAD?
CONTACT US HERE to learn more and get started with compliance.
Austin Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure 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.
WHEN SHOULD I START AUSTIN ECAD COMPLIANCE?
Ordinances such as Austin ECAD 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.
AUSTIN ECAD RESOURCES
Climate Policy
Austin Climate Equity Plan
Bill Text
ECAD Chapter 6-7
Ordinance Homepage
ECAD Ordinance
VCA GREEN PROCESS
With every phase of the process, VCA Green’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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