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Department of Energy Building Performance Standards
“The key difference between existing building [energy] codes and [Building Performance Standards] that makes the latter unique is its applicability and enforcement throughout the duration of the buildings’ life, whereas building codes apply only at the time of construction/renovation.”
According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), approximately 40% of all primary energy consumed in the U.S. is associated with buildings. Similarly, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that buildings' energy use accounts for nearly one-third (30%) of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions, making them a key target for climate mitigation strategies. These emissions stem from the buildings' operational energy use as well as the embodied emissions generated during construction, maintenance, and eventual disposal. To help address these impacts, Building Performance Standards have emerged as a leading mechanism across the U.S. to reduce energy consumption in existing buildings, many of which were built to older, less efficient standards.
A Building Performance Standard (BPS) is a policy or regulatory framework that sets minimum energy and environmental performance benchmarks for existing buildings. The key difference between existing building codes and BPS that makes the latter unique is its applicability and enforcement throughout the duration of the buildings’ life, whereas building codes apply only at the time of construction/renovation. Furthermore, while BPS are designed to ensure that buildings meet specific criteria for energy, carbon emissions, and sustainability among others, it is largely aimed at driving buildings toward achieving specific performance outcomes with the ultimate goal of reducing the environmental footprint over time. Measurable indicators used to set these criteria typically cover:
Energy Efficiency: Reducing energy consumption through improvements in the building envelope (e.g., insulation, windows), heating/cooling (e.g., space, water), lighting, and other building systems.
Carbon Emissions: Limiting the GHG emissions associated with building operation, typically by shifting to low-carbon energy sources and/or improving energy performance.
Water Efficiency: Encouraging the use of water-saving technologies and design strategies, such as low-flow fixtures and rainwater/greywater reuse.
Indoor Air Quality: Improving ventilation, reducing pollutants, and ensuring occupant comfort and health through natural and mechanical methods or reduction of pollutant sources such as off-gassing materials, fuel combustion appliances, and more.
Reducing energy use and carbon emissions helps mitigate climate change and alleviate pressure on energy grids, which is crucial for delaying costly infrastructure upgrades that require significant time and capital. More efficient buildings also lower operating costs, offering a cost-saving opportunity for both building owners and tenants through reduced utility bills. Additionally, buildings that meet BPS requirements are more resilient to climate-related challenges, such as extreme weather events, thanks to passive survivability and system redundancies. These features work synergistically to enhance the building’s ability to recover quickly during service disruptions.
The DOE plays a key role in advancing BPS and related initiatives, such as updates to building energy codes (e.g., ASHRAE 90.1, International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)), through research, development, and support for implementation at the local and state levels. The development of BPS begins with data collection and analysis, which includes examining energy use, emissions, and occupant behavior in buildings. This research often involves pilot programs focused on specific building types or sectors to assess and refine proposed standards, with input from government agencies, researchers, building owners, design professionals, contractors, and community organizations. This collaboration ensures that standards are feasible, widely applicable, and consider diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. This is particularly important since the implementation of stringent requirements can negatively impact tenants, due to the costs incurred to building owners/operators from performing building upgrades that get unfairly passed down to tenants, which drive displacement and gentrification through ‘renovictions’. Once developed, BPSs are implemented through regulations at local, state, or federal levels, with incentives such as grants or tax credits to encourage compliance that leverage technological innovations in building materials and energy systems to support these efforts.