California Assembly Bill 802 (AB 802)
AB 802 Program Summary
The Building Energy Benchmarking Program in California was established based on California Assembly Bill 802 (AB 802). The bill was signed into law in October 2015 and became effective on January 1, 2016.
The main goal of this ordinance is to improve energy efficiency in buildings, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money on energy bills. The bill mandates annual energy benchmarking reports for commercial and multifamily buildings.
The requirements for subject properties are as follows:
Commercial buildings in California with more than 50,000 square feet of gross floor area.
Multifamily buildings in California with more than 50,000 square feet of gross floor area AND 17 or more units.
The deadline is June 1 every year for reporting the energy use in the previous year.
Contact us today for a free no-obligation consultation.
AB 802 History
AB 802 builds upon the previous California energy disclosure law, Assembly Bill 1103 (AB 1103), which required non-residential buildings to disclose their energy use data to potential buyers, tenants, and lenders. However, AB 802 expands the scope of the law to include multi-family buildings and also requires reporting of energy usage data to the state. The bill was signed into law in October 2015 and became effective on January 1, 2016.
What is the Benchmarking Requirement in AB 802?
The bill mandates annual energy benchmarking reports for commercial and multifamily buildings.
The requirements for subject properties are as follows:
Commercial buildings in California with more than 50,000 square feet of gross floor area.
Multifamily buildings in California with more than 50,000 square feet of gross floor area AND 17 or more units.
AB 802 Exemptions
The following buildings are exempt from the reporting requirements:
Buildings located in cities with benchmarking mandates are exempt from the California Building Energy Benchmarking Program. The current list of exemptions includes Berkley, Brisbane, Chula Visa, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose.
Condominiums
Buildings with more than half of the gross floor area used for scientific experiments requiring controlled environments, or for manufacturing or industrial purposes
Buildings scheduled to be demolished one year or less from the reporting date
California Assembly Bill 802 (AB 802) is a law that requires commercial and multi-family buildings in California to report their energy use to the state.
The law applies to non-residential buildings over 50,000 square feet and multifamily buildings with more than 17 units.
The main goal of this ordinance is to improve energy efficiency in buildings, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money on energy bills. The law requires non-residential buildings over 50,000 square feet and multifamily buildings with more than 17 units to report their energy usage data to the California Energy Commission on an annual basis. Buildings that are already benchmarking their energy usage under other state or local programs are exempt from the requirement.
The law also requires that the energy usage data be disclosed to potential buyers, tenants, and lenders.
The energy usage data that is required to be reported includes electricity, natural gas, and other sources of energy that are consumed by the building. The data is reported through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (ESPM) which allows building owners and managers to track and measure their energy usage. ESPM is also used by the state to benchmark the energy efficiency of buildings and compare them to similar buildings.
The law also requires that the energy usage data be disclosed to potential buyers, tenants, and lenders. The disclosure must be made before the sale, lease, or financing of the building, and must include the building's energy use benchmark score, which is a measure of the building's energy efficiency.
The deadline is June 1 every year for reporting the energy use in the previous year.
Buildings in any city or municipality in California with their own benchmarking ordinance are exempt from AB 802 reporting requirements. The current list of exemptions includes Berkley, Brisbane, Chula Visa, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose.
In summary, California AB 802 is a law that requires non-residential buildings over 50,000 square feet and multifamily buildings with more than 17 units to report their energy usage data to the California Energy Commission on an annual basis. The reporting deadline is June 1 every year. The law aims to improve energy efficiency in buildings, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money on energy bills. The energy usage data must be disclosed to potential buyers, tenants, and lenders before the sale, lease or financing of the building.
Dena Energy can help you with all aspects of California AB 802 ordinance for benchmarking, and exception or extension requests. Contact us today for a no-cost no-obligation consultation.
Email: info@dena.energy
Phone: (408) 658-0774