San Jose Energy and Water Building Performance Ordinance -Beyond Benchmarking

EXEMPTIONS - Exemption requests must be submitted annually by April 1st.

Zoning Exemption

Energy and Water Exemption: Your building may qualify for an exemption from Beyond Benchmarking if the conditions below are satisfied.

Building zoned as exclusively industrial:

  • HI (Heavy Industrial),
  • LI (Light Industrial), or

Building zoned IP (Industrial Park) with >50% of the gross floor area is used exclusively for industrial, manufacturing, or research and design.

Water-only Exemption: A separate water-only exemption can be granted if the property is residential, under 50,000 sf, and not submitted for water.

Certificate of Occupancy Exemption - New construction and occupied less than 5 years

Every building must comply with the Beyond Benchmarking Requirements by completing one of two pathways for both energy and water: 

The Performance Pathway for high-performing buildings that are already energy or water-efficient or

The Improvement Pathway which requires implementing energy or water efficiency measures.

PERFORMANCE PATHWAY 

The building has achieved one or more of the following for at least two of the three calendar years preceding its BB deadline

ENERGY - Form to be submitted by May 1

  • LEED-certified building
  • ENERGY STAR score of 75 or better
  • SITE EUI that is 25% BELOW the median
  • Improved its ENERGY STAR score by 15 points or more 
  • Reduced its site EUI by at least 15%

WATER - Form to be submitted by May 1

  • WUI 25% below the locally calculated mean 
  • Reduced its WUI by at least fifteen percent (15%) 
  • Multi-Family only - Has a Water score of 75 or greater
  • Multi-Family only - Improve water score by 15 points

IMPROVEMENT PATHWAY - Must be followed up with a Level I energy audit

ENERGY

Must install two by May 1 of the Beyond Benchmarking year

Install per Title 24 of:

  • common area and exterior lighting fixtures
  • a domestic hot water heater per Title 24

Replace 

  • refrigerators with ENERGY STAR-certified models
  • gas stoves with electric induction models
  • gas water heaters with electric pumps or tankless water heaters

Install 

  • smart thermostats
  • a solar thermal heating/cooling system

Enroll in 

  • an approved utility demand response system
  • an approved energy utility retrofit program

Insulate all hot water pipes.

WATER

Must install two by May 1 of the Beyond Benchmarking year

  • Plumbing that complies with Title 24
  • Outdoor landscaping and irrigation per S J Code
  • A greywater system per Title 24
  • Insulation on all hot water pipes in accessible property locations

Participation in approved water utility retrofit programs

Failure to comply with the ordinance via the Performance or Improvement Pathways above, then conduct either a:

  • Level II AUDIT, or
  • Level II Retro-commissioning

Let Pegasus get your buildings into compliance with the San Jose Beyond Benchmarking requirements.  We have Qualified Professional Engineers available to get the job done quickly and economically.  Just give us a call at 415-937-5046.  You'll talk to a friendly, knowledgeable person who can immediately assist you.  We are a veteran-owned and operated business and an ENERGY STAR Partner.  Experience you can trust.