Philadelphia Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown

PHILADELPHIA—A bill introduced in the Philadelphia City Council last week by Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown would establish a Building Energy Performance Policy for commercial structures.

Since 2013, to help achieve the goal and vision of a clean and energy efficient city, Philadelphia has required all non-residential buildings of more than 50,000 square feet to report their energy and water usage annually through a benchmarking program. The bill introduced by the At-Large Councilwoman would require large non-residential buildings to confirm their status as high-performing facilities or to perform building improvements to save money and cut carbon pollution.

There are around 2,000 non-residential buildings that are currently benchmarking annually. These buildings account for less than 0.5% of all buildings in Philadelphia, but roughly 15% of the citywide carbon footprint. Conducting what Reynolds Brown terms would be a “tune up” would allow commercial building owners to ensure their existing systems are operating efficiently and to bring the building up to a state of good repair to improve energy performance.

“Taking action on climate change is a vital priority for the citizens of Philadelphia,” says Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown. “Having energy efficient buildings is the most effective way we can reduce emissions and more toward the mayor's climate goals, which call for an 80% reduction in our carbon emissions by 2050.”

If the bill passes, buildings that require an energy tune-up would undergo an inspection conducted by a qualified tune-up specialist. The inspection would produce a list of corrective actions that could be taken to improve efficiency. Any recommended low-cost adjustments and minor repairs within a certain return-on-investment (ROI) timeframe would be required within a certain financial threshold. The ROI timeframe and financial threshold will be determined in partnership with the building community.

Building owners would perform the initial inspection by Sept. 30, 2021 and schedule another “tune-up” to be performed at least once every five years thereafter.

Alex Dews, executive director, Green Building United says, “Buildings and industry account for the vast majority of carbon emissions in Philadelphia and improving the energy efficiency of large buildings is the most cost most effective strategy for reducing emissions, and also creates the most local economic benefit. We look forward to working with Councilwoman Reynolds Brown and the City Council on making meaningful progress on climate change in Philadelphia.”

Christine Knapp, director of the Office of Sustainability notes that Buildings account for almost 80% of Philadelphia's carbon footprint, “which is why this legislation is such an important step in helping the City achieve its climate action goals.”

\Buildings in Philadelphia that have benchmarked every year since 2013 have saved an average of 6% on their energy bills. “Powering Our Future: A Clean Energy Vision for Philadelphia,” a report released in August 2018, estimated that annual cost savings for buildings that complete tune-ups could exceed $50,000.

Instant Insights /

Council Bill Would Establish Energy Performance Standards for Large Commercial Buildings

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