Property Size

Non-residential buildings with 10,000 square feet or more of space that is heated or cooled.

Multifamily residential buildings with 50,000 sq ft or more of space that is heated or cooled.

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.

May 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.

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.

While San Francisco does not have a complete BPS program, they do require energy audits for non-residential buildings which must be completed by a qualified energy professional every five years. Buildings 50,000 Sq. Ft. or larger must complete and ASHRAE Level II audit while buildings 10,000 to 49,999 Sq. Ft. must complete an ASHRAE Level I audit.

Additionally, San Francisco requires commercial buildings of 50,000 square feet or more to obtain all electricity from 100% renewable sources on a tiered deadline basis outline below.

Building Audit Deadline

Building audits for applicable buildings are required every 5 years.

Electrification Deadlines

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 San Francisco’s Existing Buildings Energy Ordinance, third-party data verification of benchmarking reports is not required. Audits however must be completed by an qualified professional.

Failure to comply with San Francisco’s Existing Buildings Energy Ordinance may result in fines of $50 per day up to $1,250 for buildings 10,000 Sq. Ft. or larger and $100 per day up to $2,500 for buildings 50,000 Sq. Ft. or larger.

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

San Francisco Existing Buildings Energy Ordinance 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 San Francisco Existing Buildings Energy Ordinance (EBEO) 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.