The San Diego Building Energy Benchmarking Ordinance (BEBO), 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 March 2019, this program provides building owners insight into their building’s energy efficiency and helps meet the City of San Diego’s Climate Action Plan goals.
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WHAT BUILDINGS ARE COVERED UNDER SAN DIEGO BEBO?
Property Size
Commercial buildings over 50,000 Sq. Ft.
Multifamily and residential buildings over 50,000 Sq. Ft. with 17 or more residential utility accounts.
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 SAN DIEGO BEBO 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.
San Diego does not currently have an active building performance standards policy.
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.
San Diego BEBO does not currently require third-party data verification.
WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES IF YOU DON'T COMPLY WITH SAN DIEGO BEBO?
Failure to comply with San Diego Building Energy Benchmarking Ordinance (BEBO) can be prosecuted by the City as a misdemeanor subject to San Diego Municipal Code section 12.0202 which designates potential non-compliance fines up to $1,000.
HOW DO I COMPLY WITH SAN DIEGO BEBO?
CONTACT US HERE to learn more and get started with compliance.
San Diego BEBO 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 SAN DIEGO BEBO COMPLIANCE?
Ordinances such as San Diego BEBO 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.
SAN DIEGO BEBO RESOURCES
Climate Policy
San Diego Climate Action Plan
Bill Text
San Diego Municipal Code Chapter 14, Article 12, Division 1
Ordinance Homepage
San Diego Building Energy Benchmarking 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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