Updated D.C. Building Performance Standards Decentralize City-Wide Climate Goals

 

U.S. cities are deploying a mix of strategies to reach proposed climate impact and decarbonization goals, including updated tax policy and funding partnerships. One decentralized strategy, incentivizing building efficiency upgrades and improved building performance standards through programs like PACE, is proving popular among U.S. cities. Washington D.C. is one of the newest to join the mix with its own updated standards.

Earlier this year, Washington D.C. implemented the Building Energy Performance Standard (BEPS) as a key part of its climate plan aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Effective from April 1, 2023, buildings in the district that are 50,000 square feet or larger are required to adhere to these energy standards. The BEPS, established under the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act of 2018, is a component of the Sustainable DC Plan, which aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by half by the year 2032.

To comply with the BEPS, buildings have three options. The first is the Performance pathway, where buildings demonstrate a 20% reduction in energy use compared to 2019. The second is the Standard target pathway, where building owners implement energy efficiency measures that they can later prove have achieved the 20% reduction target. The third is the Prescriptive pathway, which involves reporting on design changes that will enable a building to meet the performance pathway, with building owners required to complete specific actions and verify them.

How does D.C.’s BEPS stack up to other cities’ building performance standards, like Cincinnati’s, Dallas’, or Kansas City’s? Sam Ramadori, CEO of BrainBox AI, an autonomous building decarbonization solutions company, gives his analysis of D.C.’s news building performance standards based on his company’s research on similar proposals.

 

Sam’s Thoughts

“It’s great to see progress being made in several cities around the U.S. regarding building optimization regulation and the latest example of the adoption of BEPS in Washington, D.C. is a great example. We’ve looked through the structure of that regulation. It is, I’d say, similar or within the ballpark of other regulation, or we’ve seen adopted by other cities. And I think there’s a good threshold with regards to building sizes at the moment at 50,000 square feet that then goes to smaller buildings in the future. Overall, we would say what’s encouraging about this type of legislation is really just to start the process and encourage the adoption of building efficiency technologies, upgrades, and it’s important to start.

So, when people ask, is it the right structure? It’s within the ballpark, I would say for BEPS, but most importantly, it really does kickstart that process of thinking about for building owners about how they can optimize buildings. And what’s exciting now is that over the last 10 years, there’s been such a large amount of money going into what they call prop tech or real estate technologies that more and more options beyond the traditional equipment replacement or upgrade are now available to building owners. And continue to evolve rapidly. So it’s a good time to be working towards these goals, which on the broader climate perspective is a must. So, from our side, we’re quite excited about initiatives like this and look forward to continued progression and more cities adopting regulations like BEPS.”

 

Article written by Daniel Litwin.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

DXpedition
Icom Powers 3Y0K : Ham Radio’s Most Ambitious DXpedition to Remote Bouvet Island Part 1
July 11, 2025

Bouvet Island sits at the edge of the world. It is frozen, uninhabited, and almost impossible to access. Fewer people have set foot there than in space. That level of remoteness is exactly what makes it so valuable to amateur radio operators. The island ranks tenth on ClubLog’s list of Most Wanted DXCC entities,…

Read More
entrepreneurial success
The Hidden Key to Entrepreneurial Success: Build Momentum Through Personal Branding and Authentic Networking
July 10, 2025

What if the biggest pivot of your career started with a conversation?  In this episode of Professional Quotient, host Jason Winningham welcomes Fanny Dunagan, CEO and Content Strategist of PathLynks, LLC. Fanny shares her journey from high-pressure consulting in Singapore to founding her own media and branding company — and why learning to network…

Read More
Q2 2025
RM Q2 2025 Wrap Up
July 9, 2025

Rogue Marketing continues to lead with intention in a space often driven by noise. Q2 2025 reflected a strategic focus on substance, where each initiative supported long-term brand growth. The team transformed internal recognition efforts into enduring brand assets and refined event strategies through immersive, results-driven experiences. Website launches during the quarter balanced visual…

Read More
amateur radios
Hamvention Spotlight: Emergency Preparedness Led PrepHam Paul to Amateur Radios and a Rising Voice in the Field
July 9, 2025

PrepHam Paul (K5VLP) celebrated his first visit to Dayton Hamvention by marking a major channel milestone. He hosted a giveaway of the  IC-2370B mobile radio from Icom to thank viewers for helping him reach 10,000 subscribers. His passion for emergency preparedness, rooted in his experience as an Eagle Scout and later studies in emergency management,…

Read More