Chula Vista Energy Benchmarking

In support of the City of Chula Vista’s Climate Action Plan, the city adopted the Building Energy Saving Ordinance in early 2021. To comply, owners of multi-family, commercial, and industrial buildings 20,000 square feet and larger must benchmark, or report their energy use, annually on the free Energy Star Portfolio Manager platform. Over time, low-performing buildings will need to perform audits and potentially address cost-effective building upgrades.

Some of the key benefits of this ordinance include the following:

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Chula Vista

Lowering the carbon footprint of existing multi-family and commercial buildings

Helping building owners save money through cost-effective efficiency measures

Improving the quality of Chula Vista’s building stock

Additional benefits include helping building owners understand and manage their buildings’ energy use and educating tenants and real estate professionals about building energy performance.

If you own or manage a public city building, or any commercial, multifamily, or industrial building of at least 20,000 square feet, you are required to comply.

In addition, starting as early as 2023, buildings in the program will be required to meet a building performance standard every 5 years based on how efficient the building currently is. Buildings will have the option to complete an energy audit and retro-commissioning study in lieu of meeting the performance requirement.

Your building may qualify for an exemption if any of the following apply:

• The entire Property did not have a Certificate of Occupancy or Temporary Certificate of Occupancy for at least half of the year required to be Benchmarked; or

• The entire Property was not occupied, due to renovation, for at least half of the year to be Benchmarked; or

• A demolition permit for the entire Property has been issued and demolition work has commenced; or

• The Property did not receive energy or water services for at least half of the calendar year required to be Benchmarked; or

• Disclosure of the Property energy usage data would result in the release of proprietary information that can be characterized as a trade secret or would otherwise violate a customer's right to privacy under the California Constitution or other applicable laws.

• The building is presently experiencing qualifying financial distress as defined by any of the following:

  • Had arrears of property taxes or water or wastewater charges that resulted in the Property's inclusion, within the prior two (2) years, on the City's annual tax lien sale list; or

  • Has a court-appointed receiver in control of the asset due to financial distress; or

  • Is owned by a financial institution through default by the borrower; or

  • Has been acquired by a deed in lieu of foreclosure; or

  • Has a senior mortgage subject to a notice of default

The city requires building owners to report their energy usage annually via the ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager tool by March 20th for buildings 20,000-50,000 sq. Ft. and May 20th for buildings at least 50,000 sq. ft.

All energy utilities including electricity, natural gas, district energy, and any other purchased fuel type used to operate your building.

Building owners must report their energy usage data to EPA’s Portfolio Manager, a reporting tool that allows building owners to compare their building’s energy efficiency with similar buildings.

However:

• Touchstone IQ for Buildings is a fast, easy-to-use tool that integrates directly with EPA’s Portfolio Manager

• Touchstone IQ also offers expert-led benchmarking to building owners and managers looking for streamlined compliance and cost-saving recommendations

Many benchmarking ordinances require a Building ID as part of the report submission process. If needed, you may be able to find your Building ID number here.

Chula Vista large properties are exempt from California’s benchmarking laws and will only need to report to the City. Learn more about California’s exempted local benchmarking ordinances here.

• Chula Vista Building Energy Saving Program

• Chula Vista's Building Energy Benchmarking Ordinance

• Chula Vista Benchmarking Ordinance Map

Touchstone IQ for Buildings offers expert-led benchmarking and easy DIY tools for Chula Vista’s large properties. Simplify energy benchmarking compliance while gaining the tools to save money and build your energy intelligence with our exclusive software platform. Gain access to the nation's leading energy experts to ensure significant improvements in your energy usage for your commercial, multifamily, or public building. Our team has partnered with entities of all sizes to reduce their carbon footprint, reach ambitious targets, and comply with new regulations. Whether you're looking for comprehensive, step-by-step guidance to craft your energy management plan or a convenient, intuitive benchmarking solution, we've got you covered. Schedule your free personalized demo today or contact us for pricing or questions.

It shall be unlawful for any person to violate any provision or to fail to comply with any of the requirements of this section and any such person shall be subject to the following remedies and enforcement measures:

• (1) Notice of Failure to Comply shall be issued to the Owner specifying the provisions violated and including an order to correct outlining steps necessary to bring Property back under compliance. (2) On the sixtieth day following issuance of a Notice of Failure to Comply, the following may be issued: Monetary Fines.

Monetary fines may be levied up to the amounts shown below for being non-compliant based on property size (square feet):

• 20,000-49,999 GFA - up to $750 per incident

• 50,000-99,999 GFA - up to $1,500 per incident

• 100,000+ GFA - up to $2,250 per incident