The City Council of Cambridge, Mass., approved the Building Energy Usage and Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO) that requires benchmarking and disclosure of building energy performance for large commercial, institutional, and multifamily buildings. Nine other U.S. cities—Austin, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, New York City, Seattle, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.—along with two states and one county have enacted similar laws.
Cambridge’s new ordinance addresses energy and water use in commercial and institutional buildings that are 25,000 sf or larger, along with multifamily buildings that have 50 or more units, and municipal buildings over 10,000 sf. Owners must annually benchmark and report their properties’ energy use, water use, and building information using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Portfolio Manager tool.
The ordinance will be phased in for various building types and sizes, with municipal buildings reporting their data by the end of 2014. Starting in the second year of reporting, data collected will be disclosed annually through a public web site.
(http://www.imt.org/news/the-current/cambridge-mass.-passes-energy-benchmarking-ordinance)
Related Stories
| May 25, 2012
Major retail chains welcome LEED Volume option
Large national chains such as Starbucks, Marriott, Verizon, and Kohl’s are welcoming the LEED Volume Program that enables them to batch certify similar projects.
| May 25, 2012
Alaska’s okay of gravel aggregate with naturally occurring asbestos opens up development
Some long-delayed projects in the Upper Kobuk region of Alaska may now move forward thanks to legislation that allows construction in areas that have naturally occurring asbestos.
| May 25, 2012
Las Vegas building codes may thwart innovative shipping container development
A developer wants to build a commercial development out of steel shipping containers in Las Vegas, but city codes would have to be altered or the project would have to obtain waivers for it to receive the city’s go-ahead.
| May 25, 2012
Collapse of Brooklyn building that killed worker blamed on improperly braced frame
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited SP&K Construction with 11 safety violations, for which it could face more than $77,000 in fines.
| May 25, 2012
Study: Safety inspections don’t hurt the bottom line
A new study suggests that random safety inspections by regulators help reduce injury claims without hurting profits.
| May 24, 2012
2012 Reconstruction Awards Entry Form
Download a PDF of the Entry Form at the bottom of this page.
| May 17, 2012
New standard for Structural Insulated Panels under development
ASTM International and NTA, Inc. are developing a new standard for Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) that would create a path for U.S. manufacturers to meet the requirements of the Canadian building code.
| May 17, 2012
Webinar: ‘What Energy Codes and Standards Are Adopted Where and by Whom’
A June 12 webinar by the Construction Specifications Institute will outline what energy codes and standards have been adopted in each of the states for commercial buildings, and what is anticipated to be adopted in the future.
| May 17, 2012
California Governor orders new green standards on state buildings
California Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order recently that calls for all new or renovated state buildings of more than 10,000 sf to achieve LEED Silver or higher and incorporate clean, onsite power generation.