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Sustainability & Resilience

Building Energy Savings Program

The City of Madison adopted the Building Energy Savings program (BESP) in March 2023 (see Section 29.40 of the Madison General Ordinances) to improve energy efficiency in large commercial buildings community-wide through energy benchmarking and tune-ups. 

The program has two requirements:

  1. All non-residential commercial buildings 25,000 square feet (sq. ft.) or more must benchmark energy use annually.
  2. All non-residential commercial buildings 50,000 sq. ft. or more must complete a building tune-up every four years.

The program is being phased in over time according to building size. 

Building Size (gross floor area)First Benchmarking YearFirst Tune-up Year
Large buildings:  >100,000 sq. ft.20242026
Medium buildings:  50,000 - 99,999 sq. ft.20252027
Small buildings:  25,000 - 49,999 sq. ft.2026 

If your building is required to tune-up in 2026, don't wait to get started. Now is the time to decide if you qualify for an alternative compliance pathway, identify a tune-up specialist, train staff if needed, and begin gathering building data.

How to Comply

Click the links below to learn more and get started.

  • An open laptop with charts and graphs related to energy efficiency floating above the keyboard.

    Energy Benchmarking

    Energy benchmarking is simply measuring and tracking annual energy use. Commercial buildings 25,000 sq. ft. and larger are required to benchmark their energy use annually.

  • A person in a hard hat and plaid shirt is checking on rooftop HVAC equipment.

    Building Tune-ups

    Tune-ups detect and correct operation or maintenance issues to make sure building systems are performing at their best. Commercial buildings 50,000 sq. ft. and larger are required to tune-up every four years.

2026 Program Deadlines

Mark your calendar with the important dates below.

  1. 2026 Reporting window opens

    Building owners may begin submitting benchmarking and tune-up reports for 2026 in the Building Owner Portal.

  2. Submit benchmarking exemption and extension requests

    Contact the Help Desk to request to request a 90-day extension or an exemption from benchmarking in 2026. Requests must be received before the benchmarking deadline.

  3. Energy benchmarking due

    Buildings 25,000 sq. ft. and larger submit benchmarking data in the Building Owner Portal.

  4. Submit tune-up exemption and extension requests

    Contact the Help Desk to request to request a 1-year extension or an exemption from tuning-up in 2026. Requests must be received before the tune-up deadline.

  5. Tune-up reports due

    Buildings 100,000 sq. ft. and up submit a building tune-up report or Alternative Compliance Pathway documentation in the Building Owner Portal.

About BESP

The City of Madison is one of more than 50 U.S. cities, counties, and states that require energy benchmarking and additional actions to improve energy efficiency of existing buildings. The Building Energy Savings Program advances Madison's goals of reducing carbon emissions from buildings and reaching net zero carbon emissions community-wide by 2050.

Building are currently the source of 65% of Madison's carbon emissions. Benchmarking and tune-ups save energy, cut carbon emissions, lower utility bills, provide a more comfortable space for occupants, and reduces air pollution that negatively impacts public health and the environment. Reducing annual energy use in buildings covered by this program by 10 to 15% will cut carbon emissions by an estimated 91,257 to 136,886 tons per year. That’s the equivalent of taking 17,838 to 26,757 cars off the road.

Additional Resources

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Energy

Questions about BESP?

Contact our Help Desk for assistance with energy benchmarking or building tune-ups.