Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance
The ordinance requires Boston’s large- and medium-sized buildings to report their annual energy and water use. It further requires buildings to complete a major energy savings action or energy assessment every five years.
Buildings account for over seventy percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Boston. The Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) makes building owners, tenants, and other stakeholders more aware of their energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions and opportunities to reduce both. It also requires the City to make this data public. Buildings covered must also show concerted efforts to reduce their emissions every five years through energy actions or audits. This helps Bostonians save money and the City achieve its emissions reduction goals, as laid out in its Climate Action Plan.
- Reporting deadline for owners: May 15
- Disclosure deadline for the City of Boston: October 1
Do you have any questions, concerns, or need any other help with your BERDO submission?
You can reach us at 617-635-3850 Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
About the program
In 2020, BERDO requires the following portfolios to report their annual energy and water usage for January 1, 2019 - December 31, 2019:
- Nonresidential buildings that are 35,000 square feet or larger.
- Residential buildings that are 35,000 square feet or larger, or have 35 or more units.
- Any parcel with multiple buildings that sum to 100,000 square feet or 100 units.
The Ordinance also requires these buildings to complete an energy action or an energy assessment every five years beginning in 2019.
Explore the data
DataBERDO helps property owners understand how their buildings' energy performance compares to that of similar buildings nationally. They also learn, after public disclosure, how they compare to other Boston buildings.
Building energy and water data is tracked and reported to BERDO by a number of metrics.
A map showing the energy and water metrics for all reporting buildings across Boston.
Boston's calendar year 2018 building energy and water data, reported to BERDO in 2019.
Boston's calendar year 2017 building energy and water data, reported to BERDO in 2018.
Boston's calendar year 2016 building energy and water data, reported to BERDO in 2017.
Boston's calendar year 2015 building energy and water data, reported to BERDO in 2016.
Boston's calendar year 2014 building energy and water data, reported to BERDO in 2015.
View the report on first-year analysis and findings, identifying energy use patterns across building types and sectors.
Energy Action and Assessment Requirement
After five years of being covered by BERDO, buildings must:
- perform major energy saving actions, or
- complete an energy assessment.
This rule encourages buildings to improve their energy performance and reduce their emissions. If buildings have not reduced emissions by 15% or more, they can perform an energy assessment. Assessments offer recommendations on how to improve a building’s energy performance.
Buildings must complete an energy assessment or action within five years after their first year of being covered by BERDO. But, some buildings may receive an an exemption.
For example:Buildings with their first year of reporting to BERDO in 2015 need to report by May 15, 2020. This includes:
- all residential buildings that are 50,000 square feet or larger
- all residential building that have 50 or more units, and
- any set of residential buildings on one tax lot that total 100,000 square feet or 100 units or greater.
Please review this list to confirm your due date for the Energy Action and Assessment requirement.
submit your required materials: