Navigating the Energize Denver Ordinance

Buildings of 25,000 square feet or larger will be required to submit energy benchmarking data. Benchmarking will be required for new construction after 12 months of operation. All retrofits must also adhere to emissions reporting rules. Benchmarking must be verified by a third party referencing the ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager Data Verification Checklist before submission. Benchmarking reports are due each year on June 1, with the first reports due this year for calendar year 2023, though one-year extensions are permitted in some cases. Building owners can check their benchmarking status at energizedenver.org.

Trane is an authorized Energize Denver benchmarking services provider.

The new performance standards require overall building energy efficiency improvements as measured by energy use intensity (EUI). To meet these targets, most facilities will need to do more than upgrade their air conditioning units or install heat pumps. A variety of energy conservation measures (ECMs) will need to be implemented such as upgraded lighting, building controls, and/or upgraded windows and roofing. Improvements and reporting requirements go into effect for some buildings starting this year (2024).

In general, all commercial, municipal, and manufacturing buildings larger than 25,000 square feet will be required to reduce site energy use intensity (EUI) according to their sector-defined target by at least 30% by 2030. They must achieve certain scaling targets between 2024 and 2030 and adhere to the current green building ordinance (GBO) sustainable cool roof rules that were updated in the 2022 building code. All commercial, municipal, and manufacturing buildings between 5,000 and 24,999 square feet in size must upgrade 90% of their building’s total lighting load to LED lights. Further, on- or off-site renewable power generation must meet a minimum of 20% of the building’s annual site energy usage.

For new construction, BPS targets will be set within (6) months of receiving the first benchmarking report. Retrofits will require new targets to be set every 3 years.