The City of Philadelphia’s Building Energy Performance Program, created through Building Energy Performance Policy, aims to achieve efficient energy and water use in the largest non-residential buildings in Philadelphia.

Like cars, buildings need occasional tune-ups to keep them running smoothly and efficiently. A building tune-up requires a review of energy systems and controls and minor tweaks to bring them up to a good state of performance. On average, these tweaks result in 10 to 15 percent annual energy savings for a building. They also provide a more comfortable space for tenants. This policy is projected to cut carbon pollution in Philadelphia by nearly 200,000 metric tons. This reduction is equivalent to taking 40,000 automobiles off our roads.

Who is impacted?

Owners of any commercial, non-residential building with indoor floor space of at least 50,000 square feet of indoor floor space must comply with the policy. The compliance deadline is Sept. 30.

Who is not included?

• Residence halls, dormitories, and other non-transient large lodging places
• Parking lots and parking garages, or the portions of otherwise covered buildings used for parking

How do I comply?

Buildings must comply every five years from their compliance date. Buildings have three options for compliance:

• Conduct a “tune-up” of existing building systems
• Certify high performance
• Receive an exemption

Qualified tune-up specialists

If conducting tune-ups, building owners must hire approved tune-up specialists to lead their building system assessments and sign off on tune-up reports. In-house or contracted service providers may complete the corrective actions; however, the final tune-up report must be verified and signed by the qualified tune-up specialist.

Spotts, Stevens, and McCoy has four certified tune-up specialists on our staff, ready and able to assist in compliance with this regulation.

What is a Building Tune-Up?

The Building Tune-Up is an assessment of existing base building systems and corrective actions to bring the systems up to a state of good repair. The assessment includes all systems of the building that use energy or impact energy consumption:

• HVAC Operations and Controls
• Lighting System Assessment
• Building System Maintenance and Repairs
• Domestic Hot Water and Water Usage
• Building Envelope

The tune-up includes:

• Billing Analysis.
• Assessment of Elements: HVAC Operations and Controls, Lighting System Assessment, Building System Maintenance and Repairs, Domestic Hot Water and Water Usage, and Building Envelope
• Determination and Implementation of Corrective Actions
• Post-Implementation Assessment
• Final Tune-Up Report

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