What is the Los Angeles EBEWE Ordinance No. 184674?

 

Article 1, Division 97, Chapter IX of the Los Angeles Municipal Code
EXISTING BUILDINGS ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY PROGRAM

 

 

Download: Los Angeles Existing Buildings Energy & Water Efficiency (EBEWE) Ordinance Guidelines (pdf)

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On December 13, 2016, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 184674, establishing the Existing Buildings Energy & Water Efficiency Program to reduce energy and water consumption in buildings within the City of Los Angeles.

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What are the Requirements? 

 

EBEWE is an ordinance of the Los Angeles Municipal Code to establish the City of Los Angeles Existing Buildings Energy and Water Efficiency Program, requiring buildings to comply with the following 2 requirements:

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• #1. Benchmarking of Energy and Water Consumption

  • Average Cost: $200 – $400

  • Next Deadline: June 1, 2023

  • Frequency: Annually, on June 1st

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• #2. ASHRAE Level II Energy Audit + Water Audit + Retro-Commissioning (RCx)

  • Average Cost: $0.20 – $0.56 per sq.ft.

  • First Deadline: June 30, 2020

  • Frequency: Every 5 years, based on parcel #

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What is Benchmarking? (Requirement #1: due annually on June 1st)

 

Benchmarking is used to assess the energy efficiency of a building on a scale of 1–100, relative to similar buildings nationwide.

 

This rating is similar to the Miles Per Gallon (MPG) rating of a car in that it tells you how energy efficient a particular building is. A rating of 50 indicates that the building, from an energy consumption standpoint, performs better than 50% of all similar buildings nationwide, while a rating of 75 indicates that the building performs better than 75% of all similar buildings nationwide. Conversely, seeing that a building uses more energy than 80 or 90% of similar buildings can be a convincing indicator for building improvements.

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What is an Energy/Water Audit & Retro-Commissioning?

(Requirement #2: due every 5 years)

 

Whereas a Benchmark assesses how efficient a building is operating in general, an Energy/Water Audit & Retro-Commissioning will identify specific areas within a building that can be retrofitted to reduce energy and maintenance costs.  In addition, it will include an estimate for cost savings and implementation costs, empowering a building owner with information about which efficiency investments will provide the highest Return on Investment (ROI). 

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The following is a summary of what you will receive with each EBEWE requirement:

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ASHRAE Level II Energy Audit:

You will receive a report with list of Energy Efficiency Measures, including projected cost-savings, implementation costs and ROI calculations.

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Water Audit:

You will receive a report with list of Water Efficiency Measures, including projected cost-savings, implementation costs and ROI calculations.

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Retro-Commissioning (RCx):

Includes implementation of Operational and Modernization (O&M) Measures (i.e. RCx Measures) to address deferred maintenance issues, identify and correct system deficiencies, and to optimize system efficiency, air quality, and occupant comfort.

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Do I have to Comply?

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If you answer "YES" to both questions below, then you will need to comply with EBEWE:

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1. Do you own a building that is 20,000 sq.ft. or more (or 7,500 sq.ft. if City-Owned)?

2. Is your building within Los Angeles City limits? (Yes, if found here: http://zimas.lacity.org)

 

Note: If not in L.A. City, you may still need to comply with California AB 802 if over 50,000 sq.ft.  Get more info: www.AB802Benchmark.com​​

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If you want helping searching multiple properties, you can email us a list of building addresses and we will let you know which need to comply and when: Compliance@EBEWEordinance.com

 

Benchmark Exemptions:

• Building was not occupied for the entire year (based on Certificate of Occupancy)

• Building is currently being demolished (work must have already begun)

 

Energy Audit & Retro-Commissioning Exemptions:

• Building is <5 years old (based on Certificate of Occupancy)

• ENERGY STAR Certification (Same year building is due or 2 of 3 years prior)

• Does not have Central Cooling System AND 4 of 6 measures have been implemented:

  • Common area and exterior lighting meets Title 24 Building Code

  • Pipe insulation

  • Cool Roof

  • Demand Response

  • Solar Thermal

  • Domestic Hot Water meets Title 24 Building Code

 

Water Audit Exemptions:

• Building is <5 years old (based on Certificate of Occupancy)

• Reduced Water Use by 20% (baseline is 5 years from due date)

• Does not have Central Cooling System AND 2 of 3 measures have been implemented:

  • Low flow faucets and shower heads + meet Title 24

  • Front loading washing machines in common laundry facilities

  • Showers and Urinals are <5 years old + meet Title 24

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What are the Benefits?

 

The benefits of Benchmarking include:

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• Knowing how much money your buildings are wasting in utility costs

• Knowing how much room for improvement they have & how they stack up to each other

• Identifying under-performing buildings to help prevent critical equipment failures

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The benefits of Energy/Water Audits & Retro-Commissioning include:

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• Value of Energy Savings: $0.11 - $0.72 / sq.ft.

• Value of Non-Energy Savings: $0.10 - $0.45 / sq.ft.

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*Mills, E., H. Friedman, T. Powell, N. Bourassa, D. Claridge, T. Haasl, and M.A. Piette. 2004.

“The Cost-Effectiveness of Commercial-Buildings Commissioning,” Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Page 10-17: http://www.cacx.org/resources/documents/CA_Commissioning_Guide_Existing.pdf

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What are the Deadlines?

 

Requirement #1: Benchmarking Deadlines

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• 100,000 sq.ft. or more – June 1, 2023 due date for submitting Benchmark, and annually no later than June 1st thereafter.

• 50,000 sq.ft. or more – June 1, 2023 due date for submitting Benchmark, and annually no later than June 1 thereafter.

• 20,000 sq.ft. or more – June 1, 2023 due date for submitting Benchmark, and annually no later than June 1 thereafter.

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Requirement #2: Energy/Water Audit & Retro-Commissioning Deadlines

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Starting in 2020, for privately owned buildings 20,000 sq ft or more or city owned buildings 15,000 sq ft or more subject to this ordinance as described above, initial audits and retro-commissioning reports are due under the schedule provided in the following table and every 5 years thereafter.