Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS)

The Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) program was set forth in Title III of the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act of 2018. The BEPS is a minimum threshold of energy performance that is no lower than the local median ENERGY STAR score (or the equivalent metric of Source EUI) by property type. The Standards were created to drive energy performance in existing buildings to help meet the energy and climate goals of the Sustainable DC plan — to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption by 50% by 2032.

DOEE established the first set of Standards on January 1, 2021. Standards will then be set every 6 years, creating BEPS Periods (BEPS Period 1, BEPS Period 2, etc.). These requirements build upon the success of the District’s Energy Benchmarking program, so if you are mandated to benchmark, the BEPS program applies to your building. As the benchmarking requirements ratchet down in square footage over time, buildings will be subject to the BEPS requirements in following periods until all buildings 10,000 sq. ft. and over are following the performance standards.

BEPS Period 1: Private buildings ≥50,000 sq. ft. and DC-owned ≥10,000 sq. ft.
BEPS Period 2: Private buildings ≥25,000 sq. ft. and DC-owned ≥10,000 sq. ft.
BEPS Period 3: Private buildings and DC-owned ≥10,000 sq. ft.

The 2021 Building Energy Performance Standards and a Guide to the 2021 BEPS are available for viewing. Buildings that do not meet the Standard at the beginning of the BEPS Period will be placed in a Compliance Cycle. The building owner has until the end of the Cycle to meet the energy performance and reporting requirements of one of the Compliance Pathways. DOEE has published a Building Energy Performance disclosure that contains all buildings covered by BEPS and their evaluation status on the DC Open Data Platform. All public comments received on the BEPS Establishment rulemaking are available.

DOEE is in the process of evaluating the first public comment period of the BEPS Program that closed on March 4, 2021. Please note that due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, DOEE has provided an one year delay for all performance and reporting requirements for all buildings subject to BEPS. This means that under the proposed rules buildings that do not meet the BEPS will have the first reporting requirement due on April 1, 2023 (currently proposed date, as discussed in the March 30, 2021 BEPS Task Force meeting). More details about the Compliance Pathway requirements will be available once the rulemakings and guidance documents are finalized.

If you would like to see the proposed rulemaking, a presentation on the rulemaking, or Task Force recommendations, see the links below: