Rating and Disclosure - Washington, DC Area
Background
The Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008 was passed unanimously by the DC Council on July 15, 2008, and signed into law by District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty on Aug. 4, 2008. Among other energy conservation and efficiency initiatives, the bill required for the first time in any U.S. jurisdiction that the energy performance of commercial buildings be annually rated and disclosed to the marketplace (see background information).
Roughly 75 percent of DC's greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings. Additionally, energy is the largest operating cost for office buildings in downtown DC, accounting for 32 percent of operating expenses -- 10 percent more than the next highest expense -- according to data from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International.
IMT was a lead advisor to DC Councilmember Mary Cheh, the bill's lead sponsor, on crafting provisions in the Energy Act, including the rating and disclosure mandate.
Key Provisions
The Energy Act requires the energy performance of private nonresidential buildings to be rated using ENERGY STAR software and disclosed annually. Buildings of 200,000 SF or more must be rated beginning in 2010. Each subsequent year, the size threshold decreases by 50,000 SF until reaching a floor of 50,000 SF in 2013. Annual disclosure will occur via an online database open to the public and administered by the District of Columbia. Disclosure begins in 2012 and requires the posting of an ENERGY STAR Statement of Performance. Public buildings of at least 10,000 SF must also be rated beginning in 2010 and disclosed thereafter via the database.
Additionally, the energy performance of large construction or substantial renovation projects must be estimated using ENERGY STAR software and disclosed if they are at least 50,000 SF. The District Department of the Environment is currently engaged in rulemaking.
Other Initiatives in the Region
Arlington County, Va., located across the Potomac River from Washington, has voluntarily posted "Energy Report Cards" containing energy intensity data and ENERGY STAR scores for its public buildings on a web site available to the public. The site also includes case studies of some buildings. Under its Fresh AIRE program - Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions - Arlington County committed to reduce emissions from its own operations by 10 percent by 2012. Arlington is home to the Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetary, and the bustling commercial districts of Rosslyn and Ballston. See the web site.
Montgomery County, Md., home of the northwest DC suburbs Bethesda, Rockville and Silver Spring, requires the disclosure of residential utility bills to prospective homebuyers prior to the closing of a transaction. Councilmember Roger Berliner was the chief sponsor of the bill, which was enacted along with six other energy and environmental bills by the Montgomery County Council on Earth Day 2008. See the Montgomery County Council press release.
Press and Media Coverage
EPA's Green Buildings List Ranks DC Area No. 2 in Nation | Washington Post, 3.23.10
D.C. Buildings to Measure Energy Use | Engineering News-Record, 1.07.10
Energy Costs for D.C. Commercial Buildings to go Online | Washington Post, 1.01.10
Washington, DC, Requires Building Energy Use Metrics | Environmental Leader, 12.22.09
D.C. Creates Building Efficiency Law (video) | Clean Skies, 12.22.09
New Energy Efficiency Rules for D.C. Buildings Take Effect in 2010 | WAMU Radio, 12.22.09 | Listen to the clip (Windows Media)
Energy Efficiency: Your Building May Soon be Tested | ClimateWire, 12.22.09
Washington, DC's Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008 Explained | FacilitiesNet, 8.01.09
Will a New Benchmarking Law Shame Landlords into Making Their Buildings More Energy Efficient? | Washington Business Journal, 2.20.09
Energy Saving Actions Yield High Returns - and Attract Tenants | IMT for DCBIA Pipeline, 2.01.09
In Washington, DC, Energy Star Benchmarking Law Arrives | CoStar Group, 7.16.08
See what else IMT is doing in the nation's capital at our IMT in DC page.
