San Francisco, California Compliance

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Existing Commercial Buildings Energy Performance Ordinance

Benchmarking Due Date:
(October 1, 2011) Nonresidential buildings 50,000 SF and greater;
(April 1, 2012) Nonresidential buildings greater than 25,000 SF;
(April 1, 2013) Nonresidential buildings greater than 10,000 SF.

Annual Energy Benchmark Summary reports are due April 1 each year following the building’s first assigned year.

Violations and Penalties: If an owner fails to file an Annual Energy Benchmark Summary report (AEBS) for 30 days or more after the relevant deadline, the SFDOE can issue a written warning. If the violation is not corrected after 45 days of written notice, the SFDOE may impose administrative fines as follows: Buildings 50,000 SF or greater - Up to $100 per day for a maximum of 25 days in any 12 month period; Buildings 49,999 SF or less - Up to $50 per day for a maximum of 25 days in any 12-month period.

Follow Up Description: The owner of any nonresidential building shall also conduct a comprehensive energy efficiency audit for each building. Energy efficiency audits shall meet or exceed ASHRAE procedures for Commercial Building Energy Audits (2004) and must be performed by or under the supervision of an energy professional. Audit due dates for individual buildings have been established on a rolling deadline, determined by the SFDOE. Building owners will be notified 12 months in advance to the date when the first Confirmation of the Energy Audit is due. Initial Group – October 1, 2012; Second Group – April 1, 2013; Final Group – April 1, 2014. Subsequent energy efficiency audits and energy efficiency reports will be due every 5 years thereafter.

Benchmarking Service

Ecological’s Benchmarking Service provides compliance with Existing Commercial Buildings Energy Performance Ordinance of San Francisco, California. Ecological implements a monitoring and benchmarking platform; and generates benchmarking reports. Can yield 2-5% energy savings.

Through our Benchmarking Services, Ecological will manage the benchmarking process to comply with the Existing Commercial Buildings Energy Performance Ordinance of San Francisco, California. All energy usage information will be uploaded into the Ecological Sustainability Manager (ESM) online software, which will benchmark all the buildings in Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star program on a monthly basis. Ecological provides this service through a three year servicing contract.

The benchmarking process includes:

Benchmarking Service Features:

Ecological Sustainability Manager (ESM) – Online Software Tool

An account will be created in the Ecological Sustainability Manager, a secure, internet-based tool that benchmarks energy and water usage, tracks performance and reduction goals, and facilitates data analysis. The Client will determine who receives passwords as well as what level of access each user is granted. This tool enables users to maintain a thorough understanding of the progress being made in each building, understand performance across the portfolio, target specific building for analysis and improvement, and compare performance against peers in the market. Ecological activates this account and provides the necessary training for selected users. Click here for more information about the Ecological Sustainability Manager (ESM) software tool.