REAL ESTATE NEWS

USGBC California (USGBC-CA) has launched a building performance standard (BPS) model policy to help cities and counties across California reduce building-related pollution, improve energy efficiency and reach their climate goals.

The BPS is responsible for regulating the annual greenhouse gas emissions and/or energy use of existing large buildings. They affect residential, commercial and government buildings with floor areas that exceed 20,000 square feet.

The goal of this policy is to guide local jurisdictions in developing local BPS policies while encouraging consistency across California jurisdictions – a key need identified by property owners and the community of professionals that benchmark, audit and retrofit covered buildings.

USGBC California developed the model policy with input from the California BPS Peer Learning Collaborative (CalBPS PLC), a program of USGBC California that brings together staff from 50 local governments, the California Energy Commission and other organizations to develop BPS policies.

Best practices were adapted from the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) and incorporate BPS ordinances from around the US into a shared policy framework for California cities and counties.

Guidelines are Electrification-Heavy

These guidelines represent one of the most coordinated, electrification-heavy and equity-focused BEPS frameworks in the country, Rachel Schiftan, senior managing director, sustainability services, Cushman & Wakefield, told GlobeSt.com.

Although no official compliance-cost schedule has been released yet, the policies clearly signal which upgrades will be required and the CRE brokerage plans to map likely cost ranges, Schiftan said.

"Owners should begin planning heat pump adoption, electric-ready upgrades, and long-term capital improvements now to stay ahead of both local and statewide requirements," she advised.

Other cities (New York, Boston and Washington, DC) have already launched new BPS models, with states such as Oregon, Washington and Colorado following suit.

Missing a United Approach to Resilience

USGBC-CA's model building performance standard sends an important signal about the direction of building policy in the state. This includes moving toward greater alignment, accountability and long-term emissions reduction, Wes Bolsen, CEO of CitroTech, told GlobeSt.com.

"Establishing a common framework—with clear benchmarks, practical timelines, and equity considerations—gives cities a stronger foundation for action while helping owners plan with more confidence in a rapidly changing regulatory environment," he said.

However, Bolsen said that what remains largely absent from today's performance standards is a meaningful, united approach to resilience.

In California, wildfire smoke, extreme heat and grid instability are increasingly shaping a building's carbon and energy footprint and its operational risk.

Large-scale fires in particular release massive amounts of carbon and hazardous pollutants, undermining years of incremental efficiency gains in a matter of days.

"As these policies move from model to mandate, it's essential that we broaden how 'performance' is defined—beyond annual energy and carbon metrics to include a building's ability to withstand climate shocks, protect occupant health, and limit emissions during extreme events," Bolsen said.

"Efficiency is foundational, but resilience is what determines whether emissions reductions endure in a more volatile climate."

USGBC-CA's BPS model policy supports a predictable path for building owners to optimize energy and building performance," Vice President of Policy and Market Development at Aeroseal, Trisha Miller, told GlobeSt.com.

"Addressing energy waste by sealing hidden leaks in ducts and the building envelope is a critical retrofit solution that supports BPS compliance while lowering operating and maintenance costs," she said.

Source: GlobeSt/ALM