Buildings · Analysis
I.The two doors: certify, or tune up
Certification is the shortcut for a building that is already efficient. In practice that usually means a current ENERGY STAR rating, which rewards a building scoring in roughly the top quarter of similar buildings nationwide (a score of about 75 or higher, at last public description). A building that can show that performance satisfies the requirement for the cycle without touching a wrench.
The other door is the tune-up, and it is less dramatic than it sounds. A tune-up is a structured check of existing systems, the heating and cooling plant, the controls, the lighting and the sensors, aimed at low and no-cost fixes: equipment that runs when the building is empty, a stuck damper, a thermostat fighting itself. It is not a mandate to replace a boiler. The job is to find the easy waste that creeps into every building and correct it.
II.Who is allowed to sign off
Signing off is not something an owner does alone. The city requires a qualified professional, often a licensed engineer or a certified energy manager, to inspect the building, identify the corrective measures, and verify the work. Which credentials the city accepts are spelled out in the Office of Sustainability rules, so match a prospective specialist against that list before signing a contract.
Once the work is done, the owner files documentation with the Office of Sustainability showing either the certification or the completed tune-up. That office administers the program and keeps the compliance records, so the paperwork, not just the fieldwork, is part of passing. Keep the specialist's report; it is what the city checks.
III.How the deadlines stagger by size
Deadlines do not fall on every building at once. They were staggered by floor area, with the largest buildings due first and the smaller ones in the 50,000 to 100,000 square foot range due later. That phasing has shifted since the law passed, partly because of the pandemic, so the year attached to any size tier is the one thing to confirm against the current city schedule rather than trust from memory.
Compliance also repeats. A tune-up is not one and done; the program runs on a recurring cycle, described as roughly every five years at last public report, so a building that complied once will come due again. An owner planning a capital budget should treat the tune-up as a standing line item, and the certification path the same way.
IV.Worth watching this month
1. The Office of Sustainability's Building Energy Performance Program page, where the current compliance deadline for each size tier is posted, and where the dates have changed before.
2. The annual benchmarking deadline, usually in the spring, which shares the 50,000 square foot threshold but is a separate obligation from the tune-up.
3. Whether a building already holds a current ENERGY STAR certification, since that can satisfy the performance path and make the tune-up unnecessary for the cycle.
4. The city's list of acceptable tune-up specialist credentials, since the person who signs off must meet those rules for the submission to count.
5. Any City Council or Office of Sustainability notice amending the program, because enforcement timing and penalties have been adjusted in the past and could be again.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the tune-up the same as benchmarking?
- No. Benchmarking is the annual report of how much energy and water a building used. The tune-up, or proving high performance, is a separate and recurring requirement to actually check and adjust the building's systems.
- My building is just over 50,000 square feet. Am I in?
- Probably, if it is nonresidential, since the program uses gross floor area at or about 50,000 square feet and up. Confirm your exact square footage and use type against the Office of Sustainability rules before assuming either way.
- What does a tune-up cost?
- It depends on the building's size and systems. The work targets low and no-cost adjustments rather than major equipment replacement, but the inspection and the specialist's time are real costs, so get a quote early.
- Can an ENERGY STAR certification get me out of the tune-up?
- Yes, that is the performance path. A current certification, generally a score around 75 or higher, can satisfy the requirement for the cycle, though you still have to document it with the city.
- Who enforces it, and what happens if I miss a deadline?
- The Office of Sustainability administers the program, and the enacting ordinance allows penalties for noncompliance. Timing and enforcement have been adjusted before, so check the current rules rather than an old summary.
Sources on the bench
Philadelphia Office of Sustainability, Building Energy Performance Program .gov program page covering the two compliance paths, the tune-up requirements, and the deadline by building size. · www.phila.gov/programs/building-energy-performance-program
Philadelphia Office of Sustainability, Energy Benchmarking .gov page explaining the separate annual reporting rule and the 50,000 square foot threshold. · www.phila.gov/programs/building-energy-benchmarking
ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (US EPA) Federal .gov tool behind the energy score and certification that the performance path relies on. · www.energystar.gov/buildings/benchmark
PECO, Ways to Save Utility page on rebates and efficiency programs that can offset tune-up measures for Philadelphia customers. · www.peco.com/WaysToSave
Philadelphia Gas Works, EnergySense Gas utility efficiency programs relevant to the heating systems a tune-up examines. · www.pgworks.com/energysense