Property Size

Commercial and multifamily residential building over 35,000 Sq. Ft. that are either:

• A single building
• Two or more buildings that are served in whole or in part by the same electric or gas meter or are served by the same heating or cooling systems

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 1, annually. However for 2025, the State is allowing submissions until September 1, 2025. It is also worth noting that Maryland will begin charging a $100 annual reporting fee in 2026.

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.

Maryland BEPS requires covered properties to meet two interim and a final performance standard. These standards are measured in Kg CO2e and vary based on building use type.

BPS Due Date

• First interim performance standards: 2030-2034
• Second interim performance standards: 2035-2039
• Final performance standard: 2040 onwards

You can view the standards by property type here.

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 Maryland BEPS, data verification is required for every five years starting in 2026 (reporting 2025 data). Data verification years:

• 2025 (benchmarking report due 2026)
• 2030 (benchmarking report due 2031)
• 2035 (benchmarking report due 3036)
• 2040 (benchmarking report due 2041)

Buildings out of compliance with Maryland Building Energy Performance Standards will be fined for every metric ton of CO2 they emit beyond the standard set by Maryland.

Fines begin in 2030 at $230 per metric ton of excess CO2 in 2020 dollars (can be adjusted for inflation). Each year this fee increases by $4.

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

Maryland BEPS 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.

Ordinances such as Maryland Building Energy Performance Standards 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.