Developing a Building Performance Program for Lakewood's Largest Buildings

Program Overview

The City of Lakewood has committed to greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions to minimize the negative impacts of climate change. Buildings are the largest contributor of GHG emissions in Lakewood because of the energy required to operate their systems, like lighting and HVAC. Staff is evaluating a benchmarking and building performance policy for Lakewood's largest buildings program as part of an overall building emissions reduction strategy that will lead to net zero GHG emissions from buildings by 2050. Single-family homes, duplexes, and townhomes are not being considered for this project, and staff is developing separate resources to support residents in those housing types.

Key Questions and Challenges

An effective building emissions reduction program requires community and stakeholder input, which will inform a program design that is both impactful and positive for the community. This input will help staff address key questions and challenges, such as which types and size of buildings will be part of the program and what impacts are there to housing and tenant affordability. See the FAQ for additional program considerations.

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Project Phases

• Phase 1: Benchmarking (annual tracking of energy use to measure building performance) has been shown to help building owners reduce their energy use and utility bills by increasing awareness of energy use and helping plan for building improvements.
• Phase 2: Exploring potential pathways for building emissions reductions and increased energy efficiency, which could look like a Building Performance Policy or Program, building long-term roadmap for investments, resources, tune-ups, or establishing efficiency targets, and available financial incentives to achieve improved building performance and occupancy satisfaction.