Energy Audit Requirements

Energy Audits are not required for all buildings under the performance requirements. If you hope to use your audit as part of a Timeline Adjustment, it must meet the minimum requirements.

Individual Buildings

The city uses the Audit Template Tool provided by the Department of Energy (DOE). This standardizes the method of collecting energy audit information from building owners. If your alternate compliance option requires an energy audit, you must generate the audit report with the Audit Template Tool.

Energy audits must follow ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 211-2018. It must also have the following minimum requirements:

• The energy auditor must have one of the following credentials:
  • Professional Engineer (licensed in the United States)
  • Certified Energy Auditor (Association of Energy Engineers)
  • Certified Energy Manager (Association of Energy Engineers)
  • Building Energy Assessment Professional (ASHRAE)
  • High-Performance Building Design Professional (ASHRAE)
  • Multifamily Building Analyst (Building Performance Institute)
• Energy Auditor must be a third-party individual or company. They may not be employed by the organization that owns or operates the building
• Energy audit must be a minimum of an ASHRAE Level 1
•  You must submit the energy audit through the online Audit Template Tool
  • Existing Equipment: The audit template tool will require an inventory of all equipment
  • Solutions: list all energy efficiency measures needed to reach a minimum of a 15% estimated reduction in annual energy use
• Baseline identification: Total annual site energy use of the building for one previous calendar year. It must use ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager's Statement of Energy Performance or another mechanism allowed by Denver Climate Action. You may use any calendar year from 2022 onwards as the baseline. 
• Timeframe of Audit: We will accept audits completed on or after November 22, 2021.
  • You may use an audit completed between January 1, 2018 and November 21, 2021. If you do, you must update the building energy use information and associated savings calculations. This is to more accurately reflect a more recent calendar year’s baseline at when you submit the plan to us.
• Investment analysis minimum requirements:
  • Individual measure cost and site kWh savings. These must include savings to investment ratio (SIR) and return on investment (ROI) calculations.
  • Total project cost and site kWh savings, including total SIR and ROI

Using the Audit Template Tool 

We use the Audit Template Tool provided by the Department of Energy. This standardizes the method of collecting audit information from building owners. Follow these steps to create and submit your report:

1. Register to create an account
2. Select “Audit Template”
3. Click the “Add Building Report” dropdown and select “Denver Report”
4. Enter your building information or use the "Import Building" tool to upload your building information
5. Submit your audit once all your information is entered correctly
6. Download your submission as a PDF
7. Upload the PDF with your timeline submission 

You can find more information on the steps to create a report here.