Building Performance Standards
Resource Libarary

Explore our curated collection of Builiding Performance Standards Resources to help policy makers create meaningful standards and building owners effectively understand and implement them.

Working with a Community Accountability Board to Co-Design Equitable Building Performance Standards

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International Code Council

ICC Guide to Energy Codes and Building Performance Standards

View a free guide to energy codes and building performance standards, including model energy codes and case studies.

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Resources for the Future

Leading by Example: Building Performance Standards for Decarbonizing Federal Buildings

This report considers the options for implementing a building performance standard across a broader scope of buildings and geography than a single city or state: federally owned or leased buildings, which comprise 1 billion square feet across the country.

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Building Performance Standard Module: Housing Affordability

This document is meant as an introductory brief for jurisdictions working on BPS to develop strategies, policies, and programs that address housing affordability and counteract displacement in that context. There is no one-size-fits all solution to addressing the myriad of issues related to housing affordability across jurisdictions, but this document seeks to describe the landscape of considerations and propose vetted paths forward.

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Resources for the Future

Building Performance Standards: Lessons from Carbon Policy

This report assesses the various tradeoffs and challenges of designing building performance standards (BPS) in order to facilitate compliance and promote cost-effectiveness.

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A New Framework for Cracking the Nut of Existing Buildings

an essential reference guide developed from the real-world experience of cities at the forefront of advanced building policy. It breaks down both the basics and the intricacies of BPS for existing buildings and how to engage community throughout the process, from establishing goals to implementing policy.

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USDN Building Performance Standards Framework

The Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) has prepared a framework for local governments, community and industry stakeholders interested in building performance standards that provides guidance on how to plan and coordinate the different policy components to achieve equitable outcomes. The USDN has also hosted a series of BPS webinars that are available on demand that provide background for local governments, community members, and industry professionals.

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Understanding the Housing Affordability Risk Posed by Building Performance Policies

The costs of building energy improvement could be prohibitive for many affordable multifamily property owners and managers, but exempting them misses an opportunity to decarbonize buildings and improve energy equity for residents. This paper identifies potential solutions for improved energy performance of affordable housing.

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Using Building Performance Standards to Advance Electrification

Electrification is a key component of a comprehensive city decarbonization strategy. How can cities use building performance standards to advance electrification?

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Flexibility with Building Performance Standards

Opportunities to Advance Demand This document is written to guide state and local governments that are developing a building performance standard in thinking through how it might encourage demand flexibility.

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Summary of IMT’s Model Ordinance for a Building Performance Standard

This document provides a high-level overview of the Institute for Market Transformation’s (IMT) model ordinance for a building performance standard (BPS).

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Model Ordinance for Building Performance Standards

IMT’s model ordinance is intended to provide the structural foundation for a strong BPS ordinance in any jurisdiction.

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