People outside of real estate have normal fears. Zombies, haunted Victorian dolls, and ghosts lurking in the shadows. But in property management, there’s something far scarier – Building Performance Standards (BPS). This isn’t just an eerie tale; for property owners, BPS noncompliance leads to real-life consequences, including hefty penalties and career-damaging disclosures.

What if we told you BPS compliance didn’t need to be scary? With the right kind of partner in the utility game, we keep your portfolio alive (and avoid monstrous fines) as you navigate the spooky BPS landscape.

Part 1: The Creeping Fog of Compliance Standards

In the opening scene, you receive a letter from your city: comply with BPS, or else. Designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, cities and states are implementing them faster than a shadow can cross the moon. California has joined the National BPS Coalition, adding to the list of states and cities (New York, Washington, D.C., and Boston, to name a few) where BPS mandates are in full force​.

Imagine standing in the flickering light of your building’s energy metrics, realizing you need to cut emissions by 30% in the next decade. But how? BPS policies are like a maze, each twist and turn leading to new compliance demands—and fines if you don’t meet them.

Part 2: The Shadows of Benchmarking, Enhanced Benchmarking, and Full Compliance

Just when you think you’re safe, you turn a corner and find yourself in the lair of the Three Tiers of Compliance:

1. Benchmarking: You think it’s harmless—just a bit of energy tracking. But don’t be fooled. This is only the first step, and failure here means fines.
2. Enhanced Benchmarking: The walls close in. Not only do you have to track energy use, but you must also plan retrofits. Costs rise, and the clock ticks down.
3. Full Compliance: You’ve entered the final level. Now, you need deep retrofits, electrification, and potentially on-site renewables to meet strict emissions thresholds. 

It’s here you realize the stakes: failure to comply is a financial horror story, with fines that increase as you move further from BPS targets.

Part 3: Return of the Retrofit

The most harrowing phase of BPS comes when it requires full compliance, demanding you slash emissions through electrification, renewable installations, and more costly transformations.

By the time Full Compliance is in sight, it’s clear this is no ordinary specter. To meet emissions and energy efficiency targets, your building needs serious investment—potentially $40-$100 per square foot. States like New York, California, and Washington, D.C. are enforcing carbon caps that make ignoring compliance a financial death sentence. And the fines? They escalate as standards tighten. The walls are closing in; there’s no turning back now​.

Part 4: Escape with Proactive Compliance

You’ve reached the climactic ending. The villain is closing in, but you’ve prepared. You’ve strategized. You’ve invested. Now, you just might survive the BPS nightmare. Here’s how:

• Gather Your Tools: Conduct energy audits, assess which upgrades will bring the biggest savings, and arm yourself with data.
• Budget for Retrofits: Planning and phasing these updates over several years can prevent future compliance horror stories.
• Embrace Energy Tech: Smart technology helps you track progress in real-time, make adjustments, and stay on top of targets.
• Future-Proof Your Buildings: New standards are always lurking. Think about renewable energy sources and electrification to keep your properties one step ahead of future demands.

BPS’s Revenge & A Partner to Help You Survive the Sequel

Much like Freddy Krueger, BPS regulations always come back. Don’t wait to call for backup. BPS compliance is complex, relentless, and, like taxes and car repairs, better left to the experts. Enter a property sustainability service like Conservice S2, your compliance companion.

With Conservice S2, you gain automated tracking of usage data and seamless conversion of utility information into the required BPS report formats. Plus, sustainability professionals are there to audit your properties, research your BPS standards, and recommend retrofits with the least frightful price tags. So, while you focus on keeping your portfolio thriving, let Conservice handle the horror of compliance.

In the story of BPS, it’s the twist ending you didn’t see coming: you can survive, and you don’t have to do it alone.

Kellianne Gammill

Copywriter

Kellianne Gammill is an experienced wordsmith and Copywriter at Conservice. More importantly, she is a big fan of taxidermy and Pitbull.