Property Size

Non-residential commercial buildings 25,000 Sq. Ft. or larger.

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.

June 30, 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.

The Madison Building Energy Savings Program (BESP) has a building tune-up requirement in which commercial buildings 50,000 Sq. Ft. or larger must assess and adjust their base building systems such as lighting and HVAC. High performing buildings that have recently taken actions that substantially improve energy efficiency may be eligible for an alternative compliance pathway.

Tune-up Due Dates

Madison BESP building tune-ups are required every four years following the building’s initial compliance deadline below:

• Buildings 100,000 Sq. Ft. or larger are required to tune-up by October 31, 2026.
• Buildings 50,000 to 99,999 Sq. Ft. are required to tune-up by October 31, 2027.

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.

Madison BESP does not currently require third-party data verification.

Failure to comply with Madison BESP benchmarking will result in a $1,000 fine every 90 days until the building complies.

Buildings 100,000 Sq. Ft. or larger that fail to meet the building tune-up requirements will be fined $3,000 after 180 days of non-compliance and $10,000 after 365 days of non-compliance.

Buildings 50,000 to 99,999 Sq. Ft. will be fined $2,000 after 180 days of non-compliance and $8,000 after 365 days of non-compliance.

Falsifying data related to Madison BESP will result in a $3,000 fine, followed by a $5,000 fine for subsequent violations.

Violations beyond the scope of these fines will result in a $20 to $100 fine per day per violation.

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

Madison Building Energy Savings Program 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 the Madison Building Energy Savings 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.