According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the energy used by buildings in the United States is responsible for almost 40% of our national greenhouse gas emissions. Locally, we see an even bigger impact. In the City of St. Louis, residential, commercial and industrial buildings account for 80% of all greenhouse gas emissions (2018 GHG Inventory)
Policies like the City’s benchmarking requirements and Building Energy Performance Standard (BEPS) make St. Louis’ existing buildings heroes in the fight against wasted energy, air pollution and climate change.
The City of St. Louis Board of Aldermen unanimously passed and Mayor Krewson signed into law St. Louis’ Building Energy Performance Standard in May 2020, making St. Louis the fourth jurisdiction in the US and the first in the Midwest to adopt such an ambitious law requiring significant improvements in building energy performance. The City’s Building Division recently released the BEPS targets and is accepting public comment on the targets through April 3, 2021.
BEPS covers municipal, commercial, institutional and residential buildings that are 50,000 square feet or larger. According to the ordinance, targets must be set by May 4, 2021 and most buildings will have four years to meet the standard (May 4, 2025).
Visit the City’s Building Division dedicated website for additional information on BEPS, the proposed BEPS targets, the Building Division’s guiding principles for the target setting process, and more. Submit written comments by April 3 here.
Want to engage more? USGBC-Missouri Gateway is co-hosting BEPS Q&A sessions in March & April as well as Benchmarking Basic sessions and other energy efficiency trainings throughout the year. See below for event and training details. Find compiled information from previous Q&A sessions held in August and September 2020 here.
| Benchmarking Basics & Help Sessions Get an overview of the City of St. Louis Building Energy Awareness Ordinance along with instructions and hands-on help with data collection, benchmarking in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, and reporting data. MARCH 11, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm APRIL 8, 8:30 – 10:00 am MAY 13, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm OCTOBER 19, 8:30 – 10:00 am |
| Q&A on the City’s Building Energy Performance Standard The City of St. Louis is the first city in the Midwest and the fourth jurisdiction in the country to pass a Building Energy Performance Standard. Attend a session to learn more – including Site EUI targets for buildings that must comply. MARCH 16, noon – 1:00 pm MARCH 25, 8:30 – 9:30 am APRIL 16, noon – 1:00 pm APRIL 29, 8:30 – 9:30 am |
| Benchmarking & Energy Efficiency Portal Demos Learn more about Ameren Missouri’s new portal that will help you manage the benchmarking process by providing aggregated data and automatic data uploads to ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. MARCH 26, noon – 1 pm NOVEMBER 4, 3:00 – 4:00 pm |
| Benchmarking & Energy Efficiency Carousels Attend multiple quick presentations providing real details on how to save energy in buildings, with a special focus on how to prepare to meet the City’s new Building Energy Performance Standard. JUNE 4, 8:00 – 10:00 am OCTOBER 6, 8:00 – 10:00 AM – Celebrate Energy Efficiency Day with Us! |
| GPRO Operations + Maintenance Training Industry experts will provide critical tools to transition from conventional to sustainable operations. Efficient operations & smart maintenance in buildings can reduce operating costs by 5-20%. JULY 26 – 28, 1:00 pm- 5:00 pm NOVEMBER 8 – 10, 1:00 – 5:00 pm Questions about the events, benchmarking or BEPS? Feel free to reach out to us! USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter usgbc-mogateway.org usgbc-mogateway@mobot.org 314-577-0854 City of St. Louis Building Division stlbenchmarking.com benchmarking@stlouis-mo.gov 314-622-5689 |