Los Angeles EBEWE

The Los Angeles Existing Building Energy and Water Efficiency (EBEWE) ordinance requires owners of commercial and multifamily buildings over 20,000 square feet to file an Energy Benchmark report by June 1st each year, plus submit Energy and Water Audit and Retro-commissioning reports every 5 years.

However, here are some exceptions and exemptions for complying with the ordinance:

1. EBEWE Exceptions and Exemptions

a. Exceptions

 The ordinance does not apply to:

• One- and two-family dwellings and related accessory structures.
• Residential hotels as defined by the California Health and Safety Code.
• Broadcast antennas, vehicle charging stations, utility pumping stations, and treatment facilities.
• Sound stages and structures primarily used for producing and post-producing motion pictures and television.

b. Exemptions

 A building owner is exempt from filing a benchmarking report for a reporting year if any of the following conditions apply:

• The building did not have a Certificate of Occupancy or a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy for the entire calendar year required for benchmarking.
• The building was unoccupied for the full year due to renovations.
• A demolition permit had been issued, and demolition had begun on or before the reporting deadline.
• The building did not receive energy or water services for the entire year to be benchmarked.

          2. Audit and Retro-Commissioning (A/RCx) Exemptions

 Buildings can qualify for the A/RCx exemption based on Building Performance or Title 24 Compliance.

 A. Energy A/RCx Exemptions

 Buildings meeting one of the following energy Performance or Compliance exemptions are not required to undergo an Energy Audit or Retro-Commissioning.

 i. Energy Performance:

• Building is LEED certified
• Energy Star Certification: The building has received this certification from the EPA for the year of the building’s compliance due date or for two of the three years preceding its compliance due date.
• Buildings not eligible for an Energy Star score must perform 25% better than the CBECS national source for comparable buildings.
• The building has achieved a 15% reduction in its Weather Normalized Source Energy Use Intensity (EUI) compared to the Baseline Year.

ii. Energy Compliance:

• Buildings without a central cooling system or with cooling systems with an aggregate input capacity of less than 100 tons can retrofit four of the following six energy efficiency measures for Title 24 Compliance:
  • Common area and exterior lighting installed by Title 24.
  • Pipe insulation following Title 24.
  • Domestic hot water systems installed per Title 24.
  • Cool roof installed under Title 24.
  • Demand response program participation.
  • Solar thermal hot water heating system installation.

B. Water A/RCx Exemptions

 Buildings meeting one of the following water Performance or Compliance exemptions are not required to undergo an Energy Audit or Retro-Commissioning.

i. Water Performance:

• The building has reduced water use intensity by at least 20% compared to the baseline year.

ii. Water Compliance:

• Buildings without a central cooling system or a cooling system that does not operate by water consumption must retrofit two of the following three water efficiency measures for Title 24 Compliance:
  • Low-flow faucets and shower heads.
  • Front-loading clothes washing machines.
  • Water closets and urinals.

All exemptions must be certified by or performed under the supervision of a California-licensed architect or Professional Engineer.