Building Energy Performance Standards

Maryland's Building Energy Performance Standards for Buildings​ 35,000 Square Feet and Larger

State Law: The Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 requires the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to develop Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS). MDE must develop standards for buildings that, among other requirements, achieve:

  • A 20% reduction in net direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by January 1, 2030, as compared with 2025 levels for average buildings of similar construction and;
  • N​et-zero direct GHG emissions by January 1, 2040.
Covered buildings are buildings in Maryland that are 35,000 square feet or larger (excluding the parking garage area). Historic properties, public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools, manufacturing buildings, and agricultural buildings are exempt. Owners of covered buildings will need to report data to MDE each year beginning in 2025. 

MDE Regulations: MDE's regulatory function, such as for BEPS, occurs through a coordinated effort including internal and external reviews from stakeholders, other agencies, the general public, and other units affected by the regulations. Draft regulations are presented to the Air Quality Control Advisory Council (AQCAC) for advice and adoption recommendations. Each proposed regulation is then published in the Maryland Register with details about how and when to submit comments. The Maryland Register is an official publication of the State of Maryland that is published every two weeks.

Current Status: MDE initiated a rulemaking in the summer of 2022, met with stakeholders throughout the fall of 2022, and completed a draft regulation in March 2023. From May 15 through June 5, 2023, MDE shared its draft Maryland BEPS regulation on this webpage and invited stakeholders to provide comments before MDE presents the draft to AQCAC in September and before the formal promulgation process begins. Thanks to all who provided comments. There will be another opportunity to submit comments when the proposed regulation is published in the Maryland Register in the Fall of this year.  

The meeting materials for the September 11, 2023 AQCAC meeting have been posted on the MDE Air and Radiation Administration Regulations Webpage.

Maryland BEPS Webinars:    

Learn about building energy performance standards, background about the regulation in Maryland, and the process Maryland uses to adopt new regulations. The videos are provided on the right side of this webpage.

Preparing for Benchmarking and BEPS: Several programs exist to support energy efficiency with financing and incentives such as the MD PACE program,​EmPOWER Maryland,​ The Department of Housing and Community Development, and others.  The Building Energy Implementation Task Force​ is a new Task Force, created by the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022, to recommend programs, policies, and incentives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from​ the buildings sector and develop a plan for funding the retrofit of covered buildings to comply with BEPS, and to discuss related decarbonization needs for technologies and strategies.

​To prepare for benchmarking, MDE encourages all covered building owners to begin learning more about EPA’s Portfolio Manager tool by visiting the EPA’s website, creating a Portfolio Manager account, and beginning to access the catalog of pre-recorded and live online training.

For More Information 

​ Contact:  BEPS.MDE@maryland.gov​


 

​​​WATCH MDE'S VIDEO SERIES on ​Maryland's Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS)
​​

  • ​​​Maryland BEPS Introduction -
    Mark Stewart, MDE Climate Change Program Manager, and Randy Mosier, MDE Air Quality Planning Program Deputy Manager 
    (​​​slides)
     

  • Understanding the Maryland BEPS Standards
    Introducing the benchmarking tool and defining key terms from the Maryland BEPS regulation, to help you prepare for benchmarking and BEPS.
    Mark Stewart, MDE Climate Change Program Manager
    (slides)

  • Development of Maryland’s Standards -Dive deeper into the methods for the development of the Maryland site EUI standards with MDE and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
    Mark Stewart, Climate Change Program Manager, and Joshua Kace, Program Manager, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
    (slides)

  • Regulations Development Partners: 
    U.S. Department of Energy
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
    Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
    Institute for Market Transformation
    Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships 

    ARCHIVES

    MDE Air Regulation Stakeholder Meetings

    2022 Stakeholders Meeting
     Materials:

  • PRESENTATION​: MDE BEPS INTRODUCTION​
    FOR STAKEHOLDERS OCTOBER 2022

  • PRESENTATION: ​PRELIMINARY BUILDING STOCK ANALYSIS HIGHLIGHTS​
    NOVEMBER 2022

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