Montgomery County BEPS: Baseline Calculations and Compliance

Montgomery County, Maryland, has implemented Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions as part of its broader climate action goals. A key component is establishing a baseline energy performance, which determines compliance targets.

How is the BEPS Baseline Determined?

A building’s baseline is measured using Weather-Normalized Site Energy Use Intensity (EUI). It is calculated by averaging the two highest Weather-Normalized Site EUIs from the baseline period.

Baseline Periods by Building Group:

• Group 1 & 2 (County-Owned Buildings & Non-residential >50,000 sq ft): 2018-2022
• Group 3 & 4 (Smaller Non-Residential, Large Residential): 2022-2024
• Group 5 (Residential 25,000-250,000 sq ft): 2023-2025

BEPS Standards & Deadlines

Once the baseline is set, buildings must meet:

• Interim BEPS Standard: A mid-point between the baseline and final target.
• Final BEPS Standard: The ultimate efficiency goal.

Example: Multi-Family Housing

• Baseline: 67 kBtu/sq ft
• Interim Standard: 52 kBtu/sq ft (Score between Baseline and Final Standard)
• Final Standard: 37 kBtu/sq ft

Compliance Deadlines:

• Interim Deadline:
  • Groups 1 & 2: December 31st, 2028
  • Groups 3 & 4: December 31st, 2030
  • Group 5: December 31st, 2031
• Final Deadline:
  • Groups 1 & 2: December 31st, 2033
  • Groups 3 & 4: December 31st, 2035
  • Group 5: December 31st, 2036

If Your Building Already Meets the Final Standard

Roughly 37% of buildings are already below the final standard. For these buildings, their interim and final standards will be the same.

• These buildings must still continue benchmarking and reporting annually.
• Maintain weather-normalized site EUI below the final standard. As long as their performance remains below the final standard at that building’s interim/final deadline, they will be in compliance with BEPS, likely without significant additional effort beyond benchmarking and maintaining their current practices.

Next Steps for Non-Compliant Buildings

For assistance with compliance or to learn more about the details of MoCo BEPS, please reach out to us by filling out the form below or emailing us at [email protected].

Learn More

For more details on Montgomery County and Maryland BEPS, check out our blog. Linked here.