BEYOND BENCHMARKING REQUIREMENTS

Refer to our Compliance Schedule below to see the list of buildings due for Beyond Benchmarking in 2024. Note: We will start accepting 2024 submissions on March 1, 2024.   

Annually by May 1, a subset of covered building owners must demonstrate either satisfactory building energy and water efficiency or undergo actions for efficiency improvement (San José Code of Ordinances, Chapter 17.85.400). If an owner can demonstrate that a covered building meets key performance standards through yearly benchmarking, the owner can then submit a Performance Verification Report. If a building is not able to meet these standards, the owner can perform an energy audit, retrocommissioning, or targeted efficiency upgrades to improve performance.  

Beyond Benchmarking compliance due dates are separated into cohorts based on the overall Gross Floor Area (GFA) and ending Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) of the covered building and occur on a rolling basis every five years. The first year of Beyond Benchmarking implementation was 2023. Notices regarding upcoming Beyond Benchmarking requirements will be sent out to each building’s owner mailing address (as listed in Santa Clara County Tax Records) six months prior to their compliance due date.  

Please see below for more information on the requirements including a compliance schedule, resources to help you throughout the process, and more.  

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

There are numerous ways that Beyond Benchmarking will benefit both San José and building owners. By identifying opportunities for energy and water savings, retuning building systems and switching out inefficient equipment, Beyond Benchmarking will help building owners save money, improve tenant comfort, and increase the bottom line of their building portfolio. In addition, building energy use accounts for 33% of San José’s greenhouse gas emissions. Beyond Benchmarking will be critical in helping San José reach the emission reduction goals set forth in Climate Smart San José.

WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK ON POTENTIAL BUILDING PERFORMANCE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE UPDATES

The City of San José BPO team is engaging with its stakeholders to gather feedback on potential language updates to the existing Building Performance Ordinance Beyond Benchmarking section by hosting a series of webinars.

The webinars will provide background on Beyond Benchmarking, first implemented in 2023, to ensure covered buildings meet or perform improvements to meet energy and water efficiency standards on a rolling, five-year basis. This webinar will also explain the desired language updates, the impacts of such updates, and gather feedback. 

Please register to attend either webinar using the links provided below: 

Webinar 1: Thursday, December 5, from 12 - 1:00 p.m. 

Webinar 2: Monday, December 9, from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. 

The public comment period will be open until 5 p.m. Tuesday, December 31, 2024. Submit your comments and questions to benchmarking@sanjoseca.gov.

Access the webinar presentation here. If you need translation services to access this presentation, please call (408) 975-2540 or email benchmarking@sanjoseca.gov.

COMPLIANCE FORMS

Performance Pathway

• Water Use Intensity (WUI) Score Table A table of average water use intensity (WUI) scores by property type in the City of San José. To be used as a tool to aid compliance with the Performance Pathway.
• Performance Verification Report Sample: Also known as Energy Star Portfolio Manager’s Data Verification Checklist. This Checklist can be accessed from the Reporting tab within the building’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager account. The completed Checklist should be attached to your Performance Pathway Form.
• Submit your Performance Pathway Form here. Log into the User Portal to submit your Performance Pathway Form and attachments by May 1 of your Beyond Benchmarking compliance year.

Improvement Pathway

• Submit your Improvement Pathway Form here. Log into the User Portal to submit your Improvement Pathway Form and all attachments by May 1 of your Beyond Benchmarking compliance year.

Beyond Benchmarking Exemption and Extension Forms

• Beyond Benchmarking Exemption Request: If you believe that your building qualifies for an exemption, please file an exemption request no later than April 1 of your Beyond Benchmarking compliance year.
• Beyond Benchmarking Extension Request: If you need a submittal extension, you may file an extension request no later than May 1 of your Beyond Benchmarking compliance year.
• Beyond Benchmarking Exemption and Extension Forms are to be submitted through the User Portal here.
• All forms must contain a San José Building ID to be processed. Try our Covered Buildings List Lookup Tool.

Resources