Boulder, CO · Overview
Boulder Building Performance Ordinance
Boulder, Colorado's Building Performance Ordinance requires annual energy benchmarking for buildings 20,000 sq ft and larger, filed via an ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® data request due June 1 each year, plus additional lighting and retro-commissioning requirements beyond simple benchmarking.
Verified against primary sources
Filing deadline
Jun 1
Annually, for the prior calendar year
- City fee
- No city fee on file.
- Files via
- ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® — you respond to the jurisdiction’s data request.
Filing facts
What the registry knows
- Who’s covered
- Commercial buildings 20,000 sq ft or larger.
- Deadline
- Jun 1, annually
Annual reports (previous calendar year's data) are due to the city by June 1. Buildings 50,000 sq ft and larger also report to Colorado's state Building Performance Program — both filings are required. A proposed 2026-27 city policy update would replace the audit/lighting/retro-commissioning requirements for 50,000+ sq ft buildings with state-aligned performance standards; annual city benchmarking is retained.
- Files via
- ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® — you respond to the jurisdiction’s data request.
- City fee
- No city fee on file.
- If you miss it
- B.R.C. Chapter 10-7.7: after notice and opportunity for hearing, civil penalty of $0.0025 per square foot per day, not to exceed $1,000 per day (also stated on the city's BPO page). Ordinance additionally requires one-time lighting upgrades, energy assessments every 10 years, and retro-commissioning every 10 years (with implementation of measures having <=2-year payback).
How to comply
Step by step
Confirm the building is 20,000 sq ft or larger within Boulder city limits.
Benchmark the building in ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® with a "Boulder" Standard ID and enter 12 months of whole-building energy data.
Respond to the city's Portfolio Manager® data request before the June 1 annual deadline (previous calendar year's data), and review the ordinance's additional lighting/retro-commissioning requirements.
FAQ
Common questions
Does Boulder require more than just annual benchmarking?
Yes — the source research notes lighting and retro-commissioning requirements layered on top of the core benchmarking obligation, distinguishing Boulder from purely benchmarking-only peer cities.
Is Boulder's ordinance changing?
A proposed 2026-27 city policy update would replace the energy audit, lighting, and retro-commissioning requirements for buildings 50,000 sq ft and larger with performance standards aligned to Colorado's state targets. Annual benchmarking reports to the city continue under every scenario, and buildings 50,000 sq ft and larger also report to Colorado's state Building Performance Program alongside the city filing.
Want Boulder Building Performance Ordinance handled for you?
Run the compliance checker to confirm this program actually applies to your building. Sign-up is open today — and the readings behind a filing come back to you as trends you can compare year over year.