San Jose benchmarking: the life-saving guide to innovation

San Jose benchmarking: the life-saving guide to innovation

Energy benchmarking has become an increasingly important tool for businesses to assess their efficiency and reduce waste. San Jose, California is no exception - as one of the most dynamic and innovative cities in the world, energy benchmarking provides a clear pathway for local building owners to achieve sustainability goals and improve their bottom line through energy efficiency management techniques. In this blog post, you’ll find out why San Jose is positioned to benefit from increasing its focus on energy benchmarking and how local businesses can get involved right away in order to make tangible improvements to the way that they manage their resources. Get ready to dive into the life-saving potential of intelligent, data-driven innovation!

What Is San Jose Benchmarking?

San Jose Benchmarking is a unique program that seeks to measure the progress of city-owned buildings in terms of energy efficiency and water conservation. As part of the building performance ordinance (BPO) implemented by the City of San Jose, San Jose Benchmarking allows an assessment to be conducted utilizing energy tracking technology, indicating which upgrades could further increase performance levels and result in cost savings.

Regular benchmarking can also help lower energy usage to minimize environmental impact as well as reduce energy bills, making this program an invaluable resource for San Jose property owners who want to remain compliant with city regulations and reduce carbon emissions.

Energy And Water Building Performance Ordinance

The City of San Jose is taking significant steps towards an even more sustainable future with its adoption of the Building Performance Ordinance (BPO) on December 11th, 2018. This ordinance supports current state law, CA Assembly Bill 802, in order to reach climate safety goals for San José.

Being in compliance with the BPO means following city and state regulations as well as helping to fulfil the Climate Smart San Jose program - it is your key to reducing air pollution and conserving water while also improving quality of life.

This ordinance requires all building owners throughout San Jose to report their building's Energy and Water Performance to the City opposed to having to report it directly to the California Energy Commission (CEC).

With this new regulation, we can be sure that residents are partaking in our sustainability efforts together to make an environmental difference.

Who Is Required To Comply With San Jose Benchmarking?

Property owners of non-residential and multifamily buildings in San José of 20,000 or more square feet are required to comply with the benchmarking procedures set by San José's BPO. One major component of this benchmarking is the tracking of energy and water consumption. This tracking is done through the use of ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® platform which owners must use to track their usage and then subsequently share it with the City of San José who will be ensuring compliance.

The ultimate goal for these procedures is to encourage maximum conservation efforts, realizing sustainability initiatives across the city over time.

How Often Is A Energy And Water Audit Required And What Is The Deadline For Compliance?

San Jose has a five-year cycle for buildings within its city limits. During this time, these buildings must either meet performance standards or complete one of three improvement pathway actions to enhance energy and water efficiency.

To ensure that these requirements are met and to ensure market transparency for high performing buildings, the City will publish a subset of summary data each year.

It is up to the individual buildings to verify through their annual benchmark reports that they have met the key performance standards by submitting a Performance Verification Report by May 1st each year, at which point they must prove they have taken action where it has been deemed necessary in order to remain in compliance with all applicable regulations.

With this information, Mayor Liccardo and the BPO team have set out ambitious goals to reduce emissions, save energy usage, optimize heating/cooling systems and create job opportunities to help improve our environment!

Are There Any Fines Or Penalties For Non-Compliance with San Jose Benchmarking?

In San Jose, if buildings fail to comply with the local benchmarking regulations, they can face hefty fines. For buildings smaller than 50,000 sq ft, a daily fine of $25 per day of non-compliance is imposed, reaching a maximum of $2500 per calendar year.

The penalties increase for larger buildings to $50 per day, up to $5000 for each calendar year. If a building does not work quickly to meet the compliance standards, it could cost significantly in the long run. Owners need to be aware that both time and money are at stake in order to keep their operations environmentally responsible.

San Jose Benchmarking Trends For 2023 Benchmarking is a key part of San Jose's efforts towards improved energy efficiency. On March 30, 2021 the City Council extended their target date so that beginning in May 2023 all building owners must demonstrate either building efficiency or yearly improvement through benchmarking measures.

Performance Verification Reports will be submitted by those who meet standards. Otherwise, an energy audit and other improvements will be necessary to ensure performance is up to city standards for energy efficiency. With this new requirement in play, San Jose is taking a firm stance on its commitment to achieving greener living now and into 2023.