Tag: Impact on Energy

Time to Start Planning For 2022

2021 is quickly ending which means there’s no better time than now to begin prepping for your 2022 energy budgets. If you’ve been keeping up with us, you know that there are a lot of existing, updated, and new deadlines. From annual filings to filings 5-10 years out, there’s a lot to keep track of.

Over the past two years – 2020 and 2021 – building owners have seen changes to their annual Benchmark deadlines because of COVID-19. Some cities continued as if the pandemic didn’t exist, while other cities pushed back their Benchmark deadlines or gave extensions to assist with filing. In 2021, any Benchmark program that was impacted by the pandemic slowly began returning to normalcy. Based on what we have seen, Vert Energy Group predicts that the majority – if not all – Benchmark programs nationwide will fully resume and be reverted to their original annual filing deadlines. In 2021, we even saw the start of a new Benchmark program for the city of Fort Collins, CO called the Building Energy and Water Scoring. Presently the program is required for commercial and multifamily buildings 10,000+ gross sq. ft. with an annual deadline of March 1^st. The current size requirement is expected to drop to 5,000+ gross sq. ft. for commercial buildings in 2022 and for multifamily buildings in 2023. Fort Collins properties that fail to report can face a $1,000 violation for each year of noncompliance. You can refer to the below chart – which is downloadable – for a list of the current Benchmarking deadlines in the U.S.

Despite a few Benchmark programs being affected by the pandemic, other energy programs didn’t see much change with some cities sticking to their upcoming deadlines and some launching new programs altogether. Take New York City for example. Back in 2009, NYC announced that properties will need to perform Lighting Upgrades and Sub-Meters projects via Local Law 88 (LL88) by January 1, 2025. While the local law has seen updates and expansions to the terms with Local Law 132 (LL132) and Local Law 134 (LL134) the deadline has remained. Not even with COVID-19 ongoing did NYC even consider halting the annual Benchmark requirements for the LL84 program. And while 2025 still seems far out, it is safe to say NYC won’t budge on the LL88 deadlines should the pandemic or any other special circumstances arise. Aside from NYC, San Jose, CA also appears to be moving forward with their energy requirements. This past year San Jose launched Ordinance No. 30550 – the San Jose Energy Audit Ordinance – with the first filing deadline being May 1, 2023, for properties 50,000+ gross sq. ft. That gives San Jose building owners a little over a year to start and file their Audit reports to the city. Do keep in mind that NYC and San Jose are simply examples of ongoing or new energy requirements. There are countless other cities with their own additional energy requirements other than the annual Benchmark filings. The below downloadable chart is a list of additional energy requirements that may be applicable to your property.

While managing all your deadlines and prepping for all the costs, can be confusing. Through VertPro we help make it easier on you by compiling all your required annual Benchmarks and 5–10-year Audits and Retro-Commissioning deadlines onto one platform. Via VertPro you can also place Upgrade Projects you may have for your property – i.e., LL88 lighting projects – and we’ll help you get bids from pre-vetted local contractors. This makes keeping track of all your energy requirement expenses easier by having everything in one area. You’ll be able to see year-to-year what your deadlines are, what’s coming up, and how much it could cost you. To get your building portfolio set up on VertPro today, contact us by email at support@vertpro.com or by phone at (415) 912-1523.