Los Angeles EBEWE

ATTENTION: Is your building due for the Audit and Retro-commissioning (A/RCx) Reporting this year? Talk to us. We have helped more than 50% of our clients obtain an exemption in lieu of the A/RCx. Avoid expending thousands of dollars on A/RCx if you can get an exemption. Just call us at 213-296-1662.

Update from the City of Los Angeles -May 5, 2023

Benchmarks for the 2022 were due June 1st. Benchmarks for 2019, 2020 and 2021 are due on September 7, 2023.

Audits & Retro-Commissioning (A/RCx) for the compliance years are due as follows:

Buildings with an LADBS Building ID that ends in "0" or "1" Sept 7, 2023

Buildings with an LADBS Building ID that ends in "2" or "3" Sept 7, 2023

Buildings with an LADBS Building ID that ends in "4" or "5" Dec 1, 2023

This means that 60% of LA's Covered Buildings must comply this year. That's 10,000 buildings!

Audits & Retro-Commissioning (A/RCx) for Energy and Water can be an expensive undertaking. An EBEWE Energy Audit/Retro-commissioning requires a site visit and certification by an Architect or Professional Engineer. LADBS says that an audit will cost between $.20 and $.56 per square foot with a minimum cost of about $5000.

You are looking at energy and water A/RCx fulfillment costs that are the size of capital expenditures items. So it pays to plan ahead.

The first thing to do is to see if your building can become exempt! We have a complete guide on where to find these exemptions.

Email: Chuck@Pegasusbms.com or Call him at 213-296-1662 and ask for the Guide to EBEWE A/RCx Exemptions

Or go to our Blog page

Audits and Retro-Commissioning (A/RCx) Compliance

Keep in mind however that in order to be exempt from the A/RCx reports your building needs to have met the energy efficiency goal or have been ENERGY STAR certified in that year. For example to be ENERGY STAR exempt from the A/RCx report for 2023 you will need to obtain your certification for that year before the EPA deadline for 2023. You cannot get ENERGY STAR certified in 2023 for 2020 or 2021. The EPA does not do retroactive certification.

COST OF AUDITS VS IMPROVEMENTS

Given the cost of energy and water audit and retro-commissioning reports it could be less expensive to install the energy and water saving improvements in your building than to pay for the A/RCx. But the improvements need to be made before your A/RCx due date.

Net, net it is critical to make and implement your energy/water saving plans now. Don't wait until it is too late.

Call us at if you would like more information. 213-296-1662

There are EBEWE EXCEPTIONS AND EXEMPTIONS

BENCHMARKING EXCEPTIONS

There are some exceptions from benchmarking. The ordinance shall not apply to:

1. One-and two-family dwellings and related accessory structures;

2. Residential hotels as defined by the California Health and Safety Code;

3. Broadcast antennas, vehicle charging stations, utility pumping stations, and treatment facilities;

4. Sound stages and structures are used primarily for the production and post-production of motion pictures and television.

BENCHMARKING EXEMPTIONS

The owner of a building shall be exempt from filing a benchmarking report for a reporting year if any of the following conditions apply:

1. The building did not have a Certificate of Occupancy or Temporary Certificate of Occupancy for the entire calendar year required to be benchmarked;

2. The entire building was not occupied, due to renovation, for the entire calendar year required to be reported;

3. The demolition permit for the entire building has been issues and demolition work has commenced on or before the date the benchmark report is due for that calendar year;

4. The building did not receive energy or water services for the entire calendar year required to be benchmarked.

The ordinance requires reporting on both energy and water consumption. If your report is in compliance with the City of Los Angeles, it will fulfill the requirements of the State of California’s AB 802 benchmarking ordinance.

For more information about the EBEWE benchmarking in Los Angeles, CA program and whether your building is exempt, call Chuck at 213-296-1662

or visit our EBEWE Compliance Frequently Asked Questions.

The Department of Building and Safety has an 82-page instruction guide for submitting benchmark data, or you can contact Pegasus Energy Solutions. We have the expertise and experience to simplify the task for you.

We make it easy. We enter the data into Portfolio Manager, interface with the utilities and file your report with the Los Angeles Department of Buildings and Safety.

EBEWE AUDIT AND RETRO-COMMISSIONING EXEMPTIONS

Buildings can qualify from the A/RCx exemption based upon Building Performance or Title 24 Compliance

Buildings that meet one of the below exemptions are not required to go through an Energy Audit or Retro-Commissioning.

ENERGY EXEMPTIONS to the Audit and Retro-Commissioning Process

Energy Star Certification: The building has received this certification from the EPA for the year of the building’s compliance due date. (Requires an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or greater.)
Energy Star Certification: The building has received this certification from the EPA for two of the three years preceding the building’s compliance due date. (Requires an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or greater.)
For buildings not eligible to receive an Energy Star score, the building must perform 25% better than the national median provided by the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) (if this score exists) of similar building types.
The building has reduced its Source Energy Use Intensity (EUI) by 15% when compared to the five years before a building’s compliance due date.
Buildings that do not have a central cooling system or have a cooling system having an aggregate input capacity of less than 100 refrigeration tons (1,200,000 Btu/h) must retrofit four of six energy efficiency measures noted in the EBEWE guideline below for Title 24 Compliance.
1. Common Area and Exterior Lighting. The common area (lighting outside of tenant spaces) and exterior lighting fixtures were installed in accordance with California Title 24 in effect at any time during the five-year compliance cycle being reported.
2. Pipe Insulation. All exposed pipes used to convey heat or hot water were insulated in accordance with California Title 24 in effect at any time during the five-year compliance cycle being reported.
3. Cool Roof. A cool roof was installed in accordance with the Los Angeles Green Building Code and California Title 24 in effect at any time during the five-year compliance cycle being reported.
4. Demand Response. The building owner participates in a utility-sponsored Demand Response Program and complies with the terms and conditions thereof.
5. Solar Thermal. A solar hot water heating system was installed.
6. Domestic Hot Water. A new hot water heater was installed in accordance with California Title 24 in effect at any time during the five-year compliance cycle being reported.

WATER EXEMPTIONS to the Audit and Retro-Commissioning Process

The building has reduced its water use intensity by at least 20% when compared to the five years prior to the building’s compliance due date.
Buildings that do not have a central cooling system or with a cooling system that does not operate by the consumption of water as part of the cooling process must retrofit two of three water efficiency measures noted below for Title 24 Compliance
1. Low Flow Faucets and Shower Heads. All faucets and showerheads within the building were replaced and meet the Los Angeles Municipal Code and California Title 24 in effect at any time during the five-year compliance cycle being reported.
2. Washing Machines. Front-loading clothes washing machines were installed in all common laundry facilities.
3. Water Closets and Urinals. All water closets and urinals within the building were replaced and meet the Los Angeles Municipal Code and California Title 24 in effect at any time during the five-year compliance cycle being reported
The building’s water use conforms to the LA Municipal and Title 24 Code in effect at any time during the five-year compliance cycle.
The building is new and has been occupied for less than five years from its occupancy date based on the Temporary or final Certificate of Occupancy.

*All exemptions must be certified by or performed under the supervision of, a California licensed architect or engineer.

EBEWE Schedule for Audits and Retro-commissioning Report Compliance

Compliance with this section of the ordinance shall be due once every five years as follows:

Last digit of LADBS Building ID	Initial Compliance Due Date	Subsequent Compliance Due Dates
0 or 1	December 1, 2023	December 1, 2026
2 or 3	December 1, 2023	December 1, 2027
4 or 5	December 1, 2023	Every 5 years thereafter
6 or 7	December 1, 2024	Every 5 years thereafter
8 or 9	December 1, 2025	Every 5 years thereafter

For more information, contact us or call Chuck at 213-296-1662.