Fighting climate change means taking serious steps to reduce carbon emissions generated by buildings.

Understanding this, leading-edge states and local governments are shifting to mandatory building performance policies. The most powerful of these is a building performance standard (BPS).

 

What is a Building Performance Standard?

A BPS policy is a set of standards designed to reduce carbon emissions in buildings by improving energy, gas and water use, and peak demand. These standards become stricter over time, driving continuous, long-term improvement in the building stock, and complementing building energy codes.
While all building performance standards share similar central components in how they are designed and implemented, for maximum impact and benefit, they should be customized for each jurisdiction and its community. To do this, IMT offers several comprehensive BPS design and implementation tools.

What are the benefits of adopting a BPS?

Jurisdictions are looking to BPS because they are the most powerful and direct tool for driving improved performance in existing buildings. BPS can bring additional benefits to implementing jurisdictions by fueling local job creation, economic growth, achieving increased renewable energy share, and reducing energy costs.

Climate Change Resilience

BPS will reduce energy use in buildings by over 20%, thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions by over one million tons annually and helping us meet climate goals.

Improving Communities

BPS can address a range of community priorities, including building energy use, carbon emissions, public health, resilience, and economic opportunity.

Lower Bills, Better Air Quality

Owners can improve a building’s heating, cooling, and ventilation systems to use less energy, provide healthier air, increase comfort, and lower energy bills.

Supporting Workforce Needs

Local contractors benefit from new job opportunities and an inclusively designed BPS can ensure these jobs are available to all community members.

Snapshot of BPS Adoption Across the U.S.

 

IMT proudly supports the National Building Performance Standards Coalition launched by the White House in January 2022 and we work closely with all jurisdictions that have passed or are considering a BPS. See our resource collection for related maps, guides, and graphics.

 

 

Roadmap for Creating Equitable and Effective Building Performance Standards

Creating successful building performance standards consists of five main activities centering inclusive outreach and engagement throughout the process

  • Engage communities
  • Engage businesses
  • Engage utilities
  • Make project plans
  • Coordinate with internal, external, and community partners
  • Conduct data analysis and research
  • Determine policy parameters
  • Respond to community and stakeholder feedback
  • Draft legislation and regulations
  • Introduce legislation
  • Attend to legislative process until adoption and enactment of legislation
  • Maintain communication with communities and stakeholders
  • Manage reporting, compliance, and enforcement processes
  • Coordinate supporting programs
  • Maintain ongoing engagement with communities and stakeholders

Transformative Solutions

Meaningful community engagement unleashes unprecedented capacity to develop and implement solutions to current crises

Need more info? Get in touch!

Associate Director, Government Engagement