Philadelphia Energy Benchmarking Ordinance
What is Philadelphia's energy benchmarking ordinance?
Philadelphia’s Building Energy Benchmarking law requires owners of large commercial and multifamily buildings to benchmark their energy and water use every year and share the results with the City’s Office of Sustainability (OOS).
Benchmarking is paired with the Building Energy Performance Program (BEPP). Every five years, non-residential buildings of 50,000 sq ft or more must either show high performance or complete a building tune-up of their major systems. The second BEPP cycle runs from 2026 to 2029.
The City publishes benchmarking results, so tenants, buyers and lenders can compare buildings.
What buildings must comply with Philadelphia benchmarking?
- Commercial and multifamily buildings with 50,000 sq ft or more of indoor floor space
- Any building in the C-PACE program, regardless of size
Your building may qualify for an exemption if:
- more than 50% of its floor space was unoccupied for over 180 days;
- a change in ownership prevents access to a full year of utility data;
- process energy from manufacturing makes the results meaningless; or
- the owner can show exceptional hardship.
What is the penalty for non-compliance?
Philadelphia fines owners who miss either requirement:
- Missed benchmarking deadline: $300 for the first month, then $100 per day until the report is accepted.
- Missed BEPP deadline: an initial $2,000 fine.
- Continued BEPP non-compliance: an additional $500 per day, starting 30 days after the deadline.
What is the compliance process?
Philadelphia owners report through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager by sharing their property with the City’s account. A typical filing looks like this:
- First, confirm your building is covered and find its Philadelphia Building ID from your OOS notice.
- Next, set up or update the property in Portfolio Manager with accurate floor area and use details.
- Then enter 12 months of whole-building energy and water data for the previous calendar year. Request aggregated data from PECO and PGW where tenants are separately metered.
- Share the property with the City of Philadelphia’s Portfolio Manager account and submit the data request by June 30.
- Finally, check your BEPP year and book a certified tune-up specialist well before your tune-up deadline.
What is the deadline for Philadelphia energy benchmarking?
Philadelphia benchmarking reports are due June 30 every year and cover the previous calendar year’s energy and water use.
Next deadlineJune 30, 2027 for calendar-year 2026 data
BEPP tune-up reports follow a separate five-year schedule by building size, with deadlines at the end of September (see the table below).
Philadelphia BEPP tune-up schedule (2026–2029 cycle)
BEPP applies to non-residential buildings of 50,000 sq ft or more. Each size group has its own year in the five-year cycle:
| Building size | Exemption & extension requests | Tune-up report due |
|---|---|---|
| Over 200,000 sq ft2026 | April 3, 2026 | Sept 30, 2026 |
| 100,000–200,000 sq ft2027 | April 5, 2027 | Sept 30, 2027 |
| 70,000–100,000 sq ft2028 | April 5, 2028 | Oct 2, 2028 |
| 50,000–70,000 sq ft2029 | April 4, 2029 | Oct 1, 2029 |
High performers: buildings with an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher can file a High Performance report instead of a tune-up. Alternative Compliance Plans are due in early January of the same year.
What utilities are required for benchmarking reporting?
- Water
- Electricity
- Natural Gas
- District Energy
- Any other purchased fuel
What is the purpose of Philadelphia's benchmarking law?
Large buildings are major sources of Philadelphia’s energy use and carbon emissions, so the City uses benchmarking and BEPP to measure and improve how they perform. The programs serve two main goals:
Cut energy use and costs. Benchmarking shows owners where they waste energy, and BEPP tune-ups fix common problems in lighting, HVAC and controls.
Make performance transparent. Because the City publishes the results, tenants and buyers can compare buildings, and owners have a clear reason to improve. An ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher can also exempt a building from its BEPP tune-up, and it qualifies the building for ENERGY STAR certification.
To see how other cities handle benchmarking, visit our energy benchmarking compliance guide.
See our guides for New Jersey, Pittsburgh and NYC Local Law 84, or our full energy benchmarking compliance guide.
This program includes an energy audit, assessment or tune-up requirement. Compare it with other cities in our energy audit compliance guide.
Philadelphia energy benchmarking FAQs
Do multifamily buildings need a BEPP tune-up?
No. Multifamily buildings of 50,000 sq ft or more must benchmark every year, but BEPP tune-ups apply to non-residential buildings.
What is a building tune-up?
A tune-up is an assessment and correction of a building’s major systems, such as HVAC, lighting, controls and water heating, carried out by a certified tune-up specialist.
Can a high ENERGY STAR score exempt me from BEPP?
Yes. Buildings with an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher can file a High Performance report instead of completing a tune-up.
What happens if I miss the June 30 benchmarking deadline?
You face a $300 fine for the first month and $100 for each additional day until the City accepts your report.
Can Energy Fave handle my Philadelphia compliance?
Yes. Energy Fave can collect PECO and PGW data, submit your benchmarking report, and help you prepare for your BEPP year.
Interested in benchmarking help?
Philadelphia at a Glance
- Who's covered
- Commercial & multifamily 50,000+ sq ft
- Next deadline
- June 30, 2027The 2026 report was due June 30, 2026. Not filed yet? We can file it now →
- Late penalty
- $300, then $100 per day
- BEPP tune-up
- Every 5 years (non-residential)
- Reporting tool
- ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager