What is LA EBEWE?
LA EBEWE, the Existing Buildings Energy and Water Efficiency program, requires covered Los Angeles buildings to benchmark energy and water yearly and complete audits and retro-commissioning every five years.
Which Los Angeles buildings are covered
The program sits in Division 97 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code. It covers privately owned buildings of 20,000 square feet or more and City-owned buildings of 7,500 square feet or more. The Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) administers it and identifies each property by an LADBS Building ID, which differs from the Portfolio Manager property ID.
Annual and five-year requirements
- Benchmark reports covering the previous calendar year are due to LADBS by June 1 each year, prepared in Portfolio Manager.
- Energy and water audits and retro-commissioning, or a declaration of exemption, are due every five years by December 1, with the year set by the Building ID.
- A standalone parking structure above the size threshold needs its own Building ID and its own benchmark.
Measured findings for retro-commissioning
Retro-commissioning looks for equipment that does not run as intended. Where Smart Controls reach rooftop units over BACnet or Modbus, each unit twin reports setpoint attainment, comfort compliance and sequence exceptions. On the water side, the site water balance isolates unaccounted flow. The auditor arrives with a list of measured problems.