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If you own a building of 30,000 square feet or more in Reno, the Energy and Water Efficiency Program and its building performance standard most likely apply. Report energy and water use every April 1. Every seven years, show that the building met an energy target and a water target, or completed approved efficiency actions in their place. First checks: 2026 for City-owned buildings of 10,000 square feet or more, then 2028 for private and agency buildings of 100,000 square feet or more, 2029 at 50,000 and 2032 at 30,000.
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BPS · RMC Chapter 14.30
What is Reno's building performance standard (BPS)?
Reno's building performance standard is part of the Energy and Water Efficiency Program, adopted in January 2019 (Ordinance No. 6493, now Reno Municipal Code Chapter 14.30). The program has two parts. Every year, covered buildings report energy and water use through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. Every seven years, each building shows it met at least one energy target and one water target, or completed listed efficiency actions in their place, such as an audit or retuning. The City calls these seven-year checks building performance standards. The first checks are due in 2026 for City-owned buildings of 10,000 square feet or more, and in 2028 for private and agency buildings of 100,000 square feet or more. Under the code, no building has to reach a set number to comply.
- 30,000 sq ft
- Private and public buildings this size or larger are covered, unless excluded. City-owned buildings are covered from 10,000 sq ft, and every fire station. RMC 14.30.003
- 7 years
- How often each building verifies performance. First checks: 2026 for City-owned buildings of 10,000 sq ft or more; for private and agency buildings, 2028 at 100,000 sq ft or more, 2029 at 50,000, 2032 at 30,000. RMC 14.30.010 · City of Reno, latest Annual Benchmarking Report
- Target or action
- Energy target options include an ENERGY STAR score of 50 or more, a 10% cut in source EUI from baseline, or a score 15 points above baseline. A water target is also needed, or listed actions in place of either. RMC 14.30.011 · 14.30.012
- April 1
- Every year: last calendar year's energy and water use, shared with the City in Portfolio Manager. The City says it replies by email within 2 to 3 business days. City of Reno · help center
- 64%
- Properties in compliance in the City's latest annual report, up from 51% the year before. City of Reno, latest Annual Benchmarking Report (checked Sep 2026)
Coverage
Am I covered?
The program covers existing residential and non-residential properties, public or private, of 30,000 square feet or more of gross floor area inside the City of Reno, City-owned buildings of 10,000 square feet or more, and every fire station. Floor area is measured to the outside of the exterior walls; for coverage the City has used the Washoe County Assessor's square footage. RMC 14.30.003 · 14.30.004 · City compliance guide
Not covered
- Single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes
- Buildings used for industrial (SIC 20 to 39) or agricultural (SIC 01 to 09) purposes
- Local-agency properties subject to NRS 701.218
- Buildings outside Reno city limits, including unincorporated Washoe County and Sparks
Worth knowing
The code lists thirteen exemptions an owner can request, among them LEED or net-zero certification, occupancy under 60 percent, a change of ownership, and, for mostly residential buildings with more than four meters, no access to aggregated whole-building data. A request the City does not deny in writing within 60 days is approved. In the City's latest report a third of properties were exempt, which the City puts down to NV Energy being unable to provide whole-building data. The year before, the City exempted every property from water reporting.
The City's covered property listThe City's benchmarking help center
The clock
Key deadlines
Passed
30,000 sq ft buildings start
The first report for private and agency buildings of 30,000 sq ft or more, on 2021 data. RMC 14.30.007
Next deadline · 199 days
Annual report
Energy and water use for the previous calendar year, shared with the City in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. City of Reno program page
What happens if you miss itFirst check, 100,000+ sq ft
Private and agency buildings of 100,000 sq ft or more verify performance. The code gives the year, not a day. RMC 14.30.010
First check, 50,000+ sq ft
Private and agency buildings of 50,000 sq ft or more verify performance. RMC 14.30.010
First check, 30,000+ sq ft
Private and agency buildings of 30,000 sq ft or more verify performance, then every seven years. RMC 14.30.010
Compliance
How to comply
Every seven years, each building shows it met the energy requirement and the water requirement, verified by a qualified service company, or for some water actions a qualified professional. For each requirement, meet a target or complete a listed action. One action from the combined list covers both; otherwise complete one energy action and one water action.
- 01
Meet a target
Reach at least one energy target and at least one water target in at least two of the seven years after your baseline, verified by a qualified service company. Energy: an ENERGY STAR score of 50 or more, an EUI at least as good as half the covered buildings of your type, a score at least 15 points above baseline, or weather-normalized source EUI at least 10% below baseline. Water: a water score of 50 or more, a water use intensity at least as good as half your type, or a water score at least 15 points above baseline. RMC 14.30.011
- 02
One action for energy and water
Retuning or an energy and water audit within the three years before the due date, LEED for Existing Buildings or LEED O+M certification within seven years with both existing-building commissioning points, a utility-sponsored retuning program within seven years, or a full retuning procedure within three. RMC 14.30.012
- 03
Energy actions
Retuning or an energy audit within seven years, ongoing commissioning, net-zero energy certification, three listed measures for a building without central cooling, or three locally offered energy trainings or certifications for the owner or operations staff. RMC 14.30.012
- 04
Water actions
Retuning or a water audit within seven years, an engineer's or architect's certification that water use meets code, two locally offered water trainings, a utility water program, or listed fixture upgrades for a building without central cooling. RMC 14.30.012
We map each building to the path and dates that apply to it.
Enforcement
Penalties
The code's penalties are for not reporting, and they can step up at 30-day intervals.
- They apply to a missing annual report, a missing seven-year verification, or incomplete or false information.
- The City may send a written notice, then issue notices of violation with penalties of up to $100, $250 and $500, each 30 days apart.
- The City's program page says fines keep rising for as long as a building stays non-compliant; the code itself lists no step above $500.
- Penalties fund City incentive and training programs for the performance pathways.
RMC 14.30.014 · City of Reno program page
Questions
What owners ask
Does Reno's program apply to my building?
It applies if the building is inside the City of Reno and has 30,000 square feet or more of gross floor area (10,000 for City-owned buildings), unless it is excluded, such as a one-to-four-unit home or an industrial or agricultural use. Check the City's covered property list. A building that meets the criteria but is not on the list must still report.
Does the City call this a building performance standard?
Yes, for the seven-year checks. The City's latest Annual Benchmarking Report says large commercial properties "will need to begin compliance with building performance standards starting in 2028", and that the standards "will be phased in beginning in 2026 with City-owned facilities." Under the code, each check is passed by meeting an energy target and a water target, or by completing approved efficiency actions in their place. No building has to reach a set number.
When are reports due?
Every April 1, covering energy and water use for the previous calendar year. The April 1, 2027 report is what the City calls the 2026/2027 data cycle.
How do I submit?
Benchmark whole-building energy and water use in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, share the property with the City's Portfolio Manager account, and enter the parcel number in the Reno Parcel ID field. The City says it emails within 2 to 3 business days, either confirming compliance or listing data problems to fix.
Do I have to hit an ENERGY STAR score?
No. Every seven years you show, for energy and for water, either that the building met a target or that you completed an approved action such as an audit or retuning. A score of 50 is one of several energy targets, not a requirement.
When is my first seven-year verification?
For private and agency buildings: 2028 at 100,000 square feet or more, 2029 at 50,000 or more, and 2032 at 30,000 or more, then every seven years. City-owned buildings of 10,000 square feet or more are first due in 2026. The code gives the year, not a day.
What happens if I do not report?
The City may send a written notice, then issue notices of violation with penalties of up to $100, $250 and $500 at 30-day intervals.
Can I get an exemption or more time?
You can ask. The code lists thirteen exemptions, granted at the City manager's discretion, and allows extensions when a utility or tenant does not supply data. Apply through the City's online form; the City processes requests every Friday.
Is this the City of Reno?
No. Vert Energy Group is a private company and is not affiliated with the City. The City of Reno and RMC Chapter 14.30 are the authority; this page summarizes them and cites its sources.
Private BPS compliance help from Vert Energy Group
Let someone who has read RMC Chapter 14.30 handle it.
Vert maps your buildings against the Reno program, tells you what is due and when, and shows you what compliance will cost before you commit to anything.