Building IQ

Building IQ header includes three building shapes

The City of Aspen has set science-based targets for community greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 63% by 2030 and 100% (zero carbon) by 2050. Buildings account for 57% of Aspen's total greenhouse gas emissions, with 27% coming from commercial buildings and 30% coming from residential buildings. Because of the significant contribution from buildings, we are doubling down on our efforts to reduce our carbon “blueprint”.

Know Your Building. Know Your Power.

Building IQ is a City of Aspen program that helps commercial and multi-family buildings save energy in a community-wide effort to keep our city, and our planet, healthy and thriving. Through Building IQ, Aspen is joining thousands of cities worldwide that are working on innovative policies to reduce building energy use through benchmarking and building performance standards policies.

On April 12, 2022, the City of Aspen passed Ordinance No. 05. This ordinance requires certain property owners to address existing building performance standards through energy and water benchmarking and a building performance standard. This ordinance will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from required buildings, furthering the City of Aspen's climate action goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 

Benefits of Building IQ

Through the Building IQ program, building owners can expect to: 

  • Conserve energy
  • Help manage your building
  • Identify short- and long-term savings
  • Support global climate action
  • Market as a green building
  • Inform City of Aspen energy programs

Benchmarking

The first step to saving energy and water in buildings is to benchmark — that is, to measure and track a property's energy and water consumption over time and compare it to similar buildings. The simple act of benchmarking can decrease energy use by 2-3% per year, a modest but meaningful reduction. The City is using the free EPA tool, ENERGY STAR®  Portfolio Manager. 

Start Benchmarking

The City's partner, the Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE), is available to help you benchmark your building. Visit CORE’s website for benchmarking help and resources. 

Ready to submit your benchmarking report to the City of Aspen? Click Submit.

Submit your benchmarking report

Do you need to get your utility data from the City of Aspen Utilities Department? Click here to fill out the form.

If you are not required to benchmark and would like to understand your building's energy and water use, start with a building assessment through CORE.

Who is Required to Benchmark?

In 2023, owners of commercial properties 15,000 square feet and larger are required to benchmark their properties by June 1, 2023. For the list of properties, click here. Owners should contact our partners at the Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE) to get started: tara@aspencore.org. 

Exemption Requests

Per the Building IQ ordinance, select properties may qualify for certain exemptions and/or extensions. Complete the appropriate form to submit your request. You may need a unique building identifier (UBID) to complete the request.

Building IQ Timeline: Benchmarking

SectorPropertyProperties first notice of upcoming benchmarking due dateProperty owners/managers collect property information and utility dataInitial Reporting DateCalendar year of utility data to report in the first benchmarking yearDate that property benchmarking information is included in annual aggregated community benchmarking report
Covered City PropertiesAll covered City propertiesN/ANovember 2021 - February 2022June 30, 20222021September 30, 2022
Covered Non-City PropertiesCovered Commercial properties ≥ 20k sq. ft.June 1, 2022June 1, 2022 - November 2022December 1, 20222021January 30, 2023

Covered Commercial properties ≥ 15k sq. ft. January 1, 2023January 1, 2023 - June 2023June 1, 20232022September 1, 2023

Covered Commercial properties ≥ 10k sq. ft.January 1, 2024January 1, 2024 - June 2024June 1, 20242023September 1, 2024

Covered Commercial properties ≥ 5k sq. ft. January 1, 2025January 1, 2025 - June 2025June 1, 20252024September 1, 2025

Covered Multifamily properties ≥ 20k sq. ft.January 1, 2024January 1, 2024 - June 2024June 1, 20242023September 1, 2024

Covered Multifamily properties ≥ 15k sq. ft. January 1, 2025January 1, 2025 - June 2025June 1, 20252024September 1, 2025


Click here for the summary report of the first year of benchmarking: covered City properties and covered commercial properties  ≥ 20 k sq. ft. 

View All

Building Performance Standards 

The second step in the Building IQ program is called a Building Performance Standard (BPS). A BPS is a policy that requires building owners to meet performance targets for energy use by actively improving their buildings over time. Requiring reductions from existing buildings helps achieve decarbonization goals because the majority of commercial and residential building stock that will be standing in 2050 is already built. From a building owner's perspective, BPS provides flexibility as owners can use whatever technologies and operational strategies they decide are most effective and economical to meet the target. Multiple other state and local governments have passed BPS policies, including Washington D.C., New York City, St. Louis, and Colorado and Washington states. 

The BPS policy details and guidelines for the City of Aspen are under development.  The City of Aspen is convening a BPS Stakeholder Committee from January-May 2023 to provide input on the BPS guidelines. The Committee's monthly meeting agenda, presentations, and meeting summaries will be linked below. Interested in getting involved or learning more? Email clare.mclaughlin@aspen.gov 

Meeting 1: January 24th 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 

Meeting 2: February 28th 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 

Contact

Clare McLaughlin
Sustainability Programs Administrator 
Email | 970-379-4845