Alternatively, noncompliance with Building Performance Standards comes with a price. To ensure enforcement, state and local governments will issue fines that are usually calculated based on facility square footage and measured progress. Many building owners may be tempted to skip the retrofit, pay the fine, and continue with business as usual, but the reality is “business as usual” no longer exists, and this approach will be costly in the long run. Noncompliance fines aren’t a one-time payment, and eventually the sunk cost of repeatedly paying them will outstrip the cost of making necessary building updates, especially if fees increase in the future.
The Roadmap To Compliance
While many Building Performance Standards’ initial milestones are still years away, the opportunity is now to move on these impending imperatives by leveraging today’s innovative financing methods and new technologies. This head start will not only get owners on track to meet new emission mandates but provide more immediate benefits such as increased operational reliability, improved occupant satisfaction, and reduced emergency repairs.
Owners should begin with an energy audit to identify areas of inefficiency in building systems including heating, cooling, building controls, air flow, and water flow. This audit must include reviewing utility bills for greater insight into where energy waste is occurring. Owners should also consider the factors that control how much energy stays in the building, such as insulation, windows, roofs, and building pressurization. This audit will not only provide insight into building systems’ individual performance but will also grant a clear view of how each system works with the others, delivering a holistic perspective of the facility’s baseline level of efficiency.
The results of this audit will lead owners to new energy saving opportunities, which can then be translated into an overall plan to reach the necessary energy and emissions reduction goal. This plan can range from upgrading outdated HVAC equipment to installing LED lighting fixtures to adding on-site renewable energy generation. To offset the costs of these improvements, building owners can seek out innovative funding mechanisms such as Net Zero Buildings as a Service offerings, wherein a trusted advisor assumes the risk and management for facility leaders’ decarbonization goals under a predictable monthly fee.
Once implementations are complete, facility executives must continually measure and verify efficiency improvements to ensure they remain on track to reach their goals. This will help them guarantee compliance with Building Performance Standards while helping them identify new sustainability opportunities.
Building Performance Standards Require Immediate Action
Across the country, state, county and local governments are driving Building Performance Standards to revolutionize their sustainability. Facility executives who act now to achieve compliance will position themselves to not only avoid costly fines but emerge as leaders in the efficiency space. Through a robust compliance roadmap, managers can transform their facilities to reap the benefits of modernized and sustainable environments.
Jenny Stentz is vice president of Innovation, Strategy and Portfolio Management, Building Solutions North America at Johnson Controls.
