Boulder Building Performance Efficiency Requirements
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BUILDING PERFORMANCE ORDINANCE (BPO) UPDATE as of March 30, 2020: The City of Boulder is committed to its core value of community safety and is proactively taking steps to limit the community spread of COVID-19. Given the current pandemic situation, the city has extended the deadline for compliance with BPO’s Rating and Reporting requirement for buildings sized 20,000 square feet and up. Climate Initiatives staff are working with city leadership to determine next steps and impacts to the BPO program and timeline. The exact extension date has yet to be determined. City buildings and facilities are currently closed to the public until April 20. |
Efficiency Requirements
The Building Performance Ordinance requires each affected commercial and industrial building owner to implement efficiency actions over a phased timeline. These actions are:
- Perform Energy Assessments Every 10 Years;
- Implement One-time Lighting Upgrades;
- Perform Retrocommissioning (RCx) Every 10 Years;
- Implement Cost Effective RCx Measures.
Timeline
The efficiency requirements are phased in based on building size with June 1 deadlines of the year listed below.
| Requirement | Existing Buildings ≥ 50,000 sf, New Buildings 1 ≥ 10,000 sf, City Buildings ≥ 5,000 sf | Existing Buildings ≥ 30,000 sf | Existing Buildings ≥ 20,000 sf |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Assessments | 2019 | 2021 | 2023 |
| Lighting Upgrades | 2021 | 2023 | 2025 |
| Retrocommissioning | 2021 | 2023 | 2025 |
| Implement Cost Effective RCx Measures | 2023 | 2025 | 2027 |
1 New Construction Buildings are those permitted since January 2014.
Resources
- Efficiency Requirements How-to Guide
- Provides guidance and recommendations for completing the energy assessments. - Cost Estimation Tool
- A resource for building owners to estimate the costs of required energy assessments and retrocommissioning. - Service Providers - Information on finding and selecting a Service Provider.
- Deadline Extension Request - Deadline extensions may be available. Submit the request online for review.
- Exemption Reference Guide and Exemption Request Form - Efficiency requirement exemptions may be available if a building can demonstrate a high level of performance.
- Submit Compliance:
- Energy Assessment Report Submission Form
- Retrocommissioning Report Submission Form
- Lighting Compliance Submission Form
Energy Assessments
Every ten years, affected building owners must perform energy assessments that meet or exceed the requirements below per the Standard for Commercial Building Energy Audits as published by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in 2018 ( Standard 211 ), and as updated periodically.
| Building Size | Energy Assessment Required Scope |
| Buildings < 50,000 SF | ASHRAE Level I assessment (Also offered by Xcel Energy, will comply) |
| Buildings ≥ 50,000 SF | ASHRAE Level II assessment (Not currently offered by a local utility, Xcel Energy audits do not comply) |
Note: For manufacturing buildings, an electrical utility’s process efficiency assessments and studies can meet this requirement, if the scope is approved by the City Manager.
- Building owners must use a Qualified Service Provider to complete a Level I or Level II energy assessment for compliance purposes.
- Review the Energy Assessment Checklist to prepare for compliance
- Level II Energy Assessment Compliance Steps - A quick reference of steps to comply with the Level II energy assessment requirement due June 1, 2019.
- Submit your energy assessment report to the city through the online Submission Form .
Report Templates
Report templates are available that include current ASHRAE requirements and City Manager Rule requirements to ensure compliance with the ordinance. The use of these templates is not required, however they can be a reference to ensure all requirements are included in the report.
*Note: If completing the Level I Energy Assessment through Xcel Energy's Onsite Energy Audit Program, that report will suffice for compliance.
Cost Saving Opportunities
Level I Energy Assessments
- Xcel Energy offers an Onsite Energy Audit* for a small fee. These audits will be accepted for compliance with the Level I requirement of the ordinance as long as the audit covers both electricity and natural gas equipment.
Level II Energy Assessments
- Buildings 50,000 SF and larger must provide the capital to complete a Level II assessment. Because these are not offered by a local utility, to help offset these costs, the city is offering rebates for buildings required to complete a Level II energy assessment.
*Verify current program status at https://www.xcelenergy.com/programs_and_rebates/business_programs_and_rebates
Lighting Upgrades
Affected building owners must complete one-time lighting upgrades that meet specific energy codes for interior and exterior lighting power, controls and sensors as outlined below.
| Lighting Requirement | Code | Code Section |
| Occupancy Sensor Controls | 2017 COBECC | C405.2.2.2 |
| Time-switch Controls | 2017 COBECC | C405.2.2.1 |
| Exterior Lighting Controls | 2017 COBECC | C405.2.4 |
| Interior Lighting - Power | 2017 COBECC | C405.5 |
| Exterior Lighting - Power | 2012 IECC | C405.6 |
2012 IECC= 2012 International Energy Conservation Code
2017 COBECC = 2017 City of Boulder Energy Conservation Code
- Review the Lighting Compliance Checklist to prepare for compliance.
- Submit your lighting compliance through this Submission Form. More information on required documentation can be found in the Efficiency Requirements How-to Guide .
Electrical Permit
If lighting upgrades are necessary to meet compliance, an electrical permit may be required. To ensure your lighting project is reviewed against the BPO lighting requirement (and not the entire City of Boulder code), ensure you submit the Building Performance Ordinance Checklist and Electrical Permit together to Planning & Development Services .
Cost Saving Opportunities
Lighting rebates may be available through Xcel Energy and Boulder County PACE . Connect with a PACE Business Sustainability Advisor at Boulder County to identify applicable rebates. Call 303-786-7223 or email [email protected]
BPO and the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance
Building owners are encouraged to ensure any lighting upgrades completed for the Building Performance Ordinance on the exterior of the building also meet the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance requirements. The Outdoor Lighting Ordinance of 9-9-16 B.R.C. 1981, includes specific lighting standards that apply to all new development and newly proposed exterior lighting. Additionally, 9-9-16 also contains thresholds for incremental compliance (based on cumulative project valuation compared to existing structure valuation) that must be addressed at the time of building permit application for work that triggers such lighting improvements. Lastly, the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance includes an amortization deadline requiring compliance of all exterior lighting by Nov. 2018.
The BPO lighting deadlines begin in 2021 based on building size. However, with the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance amortization deadline in Nov. of 2018, owners are encouraged to comply with both ordinance lighting requirements at the same time to capture economies of scale and realize cost savings for the exterior lighting upgrades required by both ordinances.
Retrocommissioning & Implementing RCx Measures
Every ten years, affected building owners must perform retrocommissioning, a process that improves the efficiency of existing building operations by “tuning up” and calibrating existing functional systems to run as efficiently as possible through low- or no-cost improvements.
Owners must implement the cost-effective measures (any measure with a payback period of two years or less with rebates) identified through retrocommissioning within two years of the study.
The scope of the requirements depends on the size of the building as shown below.
| Building Size | RCx Scope |
| Buildings < 50,000 SF | Owners can participate in the Xcel Energy Building Tune-Up Program or meet the scope  outlined in the City Manager Rules |
| Buildings ≥ 50,000 SF | Owners can participate in the Xcel Energy RCx Study Program or meet the scope outlined in the City Manager Rules |
- Building owners must use a Qualified Service Provider to complete the retrocommissioning study.
- Review the RCx Checklist to prepare for compliance.
- Submit the final RCx report through the online Submission Form .
- Submit proof of measure installation through the online submission form Coming Soon.
Report Templates
If completing the RCx study through Xcel Energy's Building Tune-up or RCx Study Programs, the program report will suffice for compliance.
If completing the RCx study through a third-party service provider, a report outline is available for reference.
Cost Saving Opportunities
Retrocommissioning Study
Cost saving opportunities may be available through participation in Xcel Energy's programs.
- Xcel Energy's Building Tune-Up Program costs $250-$500.*
- Xcel Energy covers up to 75 percent of the study cost through its RCx Study Program if preapproved (up to $25,000).*
There may also be opportunities to realize cost savings through implementing services concurrently (e.g. completing the energy assessment and retrocommissioning study at the same time). Work with your service provider to determine if there are opportunities to capture economies of scale.
*Verify current program status at https://www.xcelenergy.com/programs_and_rebates/business_programs_and_rebates
Measure Implementation
Prescriptive and custom rebates may be available through Xcel Energy a nd Boulder County PACE to reduce the costs of measure upgrades.