Understanding the performance requirements for your building can be challenging. We have built this simple step-by-step guide to help walk you through the process so that you can navigate the city’s requirements for your building with confidence.
1. Claim Your Building
The first step in being able to comply with the requirements is to confirm your building's address and contact information. You will need your Denver building ID to complete this form. Can't find your building ID? The building lookup tool is the best way to find it again. Just enter your building's address and the tool will show you your building ID number.
Claim Your Building
2. Confirm Your Deadline
The deadline for your building to meet its performance requirements is based on its square footage:
| Building Size (sq. ft.) |
Compliance Deadline |
| 15,001 - 24,999 |
December 31, 2025 |
| 10,001 - 15,000 |
December 31, 2026 |
| 5,000 - 10,000 |
December 31, 2027 |
3. Are You Already in Compliance or is Your Building Exempt?
Many buildings are already in compliance with these requirements! Your building my already comply if any of the following are true:
- You received your Certificate of Occupancy after Nov 22, 2021
- Your building was constructed or completely remodeled under the 2019 or 2022 Denver Building and Fire Code
- You have already retrofitted your entire building with LED lighting.
- You will need to verify this and submit some paperwork to the city
- See more details on the LED Verification Page
- You have solar panels installed to power your building
- You will need to verify this and submit some paperwork to the city
- See more details on the Onsite Renewables Page
- You have a subscription to a community solar garden (minimum 5 year length of contract)
- Your building is scheduled for a demolition or has already been demolished
4. Choose Your Compliance Path
There are two main compliance pathways that building owners can choose to get into compliance with the Energize Denver Building Performance Policy for buildings 5,000-24,999 sq. ft:
- LED Lighting pathway: ensure that 97% of the lighting fixtures or 90% of the lighting load for the building are LEDs
- Do you already have LEDs throughout your building? The LED Verification page has all the info you need to show compliance.
- Do you need to make upgrades to your lighting? The LED Compliance Pathway page has all the info you need to get into compliance.
- 20% Renewables pathway: ensure that at least 20% of the building's energy needs are met with onsite or offsite renewable energy generation
- Are you planning to install solar or other renewable energy your your building's rooftop or land? The Onsite Renewables page has all the details you need to show compliance.
- Are you planning to sign a contract for offsite renewable energy generation? The Offsite Renewables page has all the details you will need to show compliance.
These options may not be the best path for your building. In these cases we have two alternate compliance options:
Are you running into delays? Some special circumstances will allow you to get a timeline extension.
Learn More about Timeline Extensions
Find a step-by-step list of actions you need to take for each pathway below:
If your building already complies with the LED lighting requirements complete the following steps to demonstrate compliance. Remember, you must have converted interior, exterior, and parking area lights to LEDs to comply.
Not sure if your lights are LED or not? This video can teach you how to identify LED lights.
Watch the Video
1. Complete the Lighting Verification Template.
Download the Lighting Verification Template(XLSX, 71KB) and fill it out, listing all lighting fixtures for the building. You must list all lighting that is connected to the building’s electrical meter(s), including interior, exterior, and parking area lighting. Need instruction on how to fill out the form?
Watch a Short Video Explainer
This spreadsheet may be completed by the building owner (self-verification) or by a lighting professional with one of the following certifications:
- Certified Lighting Consultant through the American Lighting Association
- Licensed Electrical Contractor registered with the State of Colorado
- Lighting Certification from the National Council on Qualifications for the Lighting Professions
- National Association of Innovative Lighting Distributors (NAILD) Lighting Specialist II (LSII) designation
- Certified Lighting Efficiency Professional (CLEP)
- Certified Energy Manager (CEM)
- Service Providers directly implementing Business Energy Assessments or the Multifamily Building Efficiency Program on behalf of Xcel Energy (must be implementing programs on behalf of Xcel Energy; merely being listed as an Xcel Energy trade partner is insufficient)
- Master Electrician licensed in the State of Colorado
- California Advanced Lighting Controls Training Program (CALCTP)
2. Complete the Letter of Attestation for Lighting Compliance
This Letter of Attestation is an online form, and must be completed by the person who completed the Lighting Verification Template.
Once this form is submitted, the submitter will receive an email with the subject line, “ACTION NEEDED: Energize Denver Lighting Compliance: Letter of Attestation for LED Lighting Compliance Result #XXXXXXXX".
Download the attachment that comes with the email. This is a PDF of the signed Letter of Attestation for Lighting Compliance.
When completing this form, you will need to upload both the Lighting Verification Template and the PDF of the Letter of Attestation for Lighting Compliance.
- Note: The Lighting Verification Template must be submitted as a Microsoft Excel file. A PDF copy is not acceptable.
This documentation may be uploaded by the you, the lighting specialist, or anyone else delegated by the building owner. Be sure and have your building ID on hand when you submit your documentation.
Make sure you are covering everything you need. Refer to our Lighting Verification Checklist(PDF, 60KB) for more information.
Once we the submitted documentation we will communicate with the you via email to confirm the building’s compliance status or to request additional information. You can expect a response within 10 business days, though this timeline may be extended due to heavy volumes of compliance documentation.
We reserve the right to select buildings at random for in-person audits to confirm accuracy of the lighting audit documentation. If your building is selected for an audit, this does not necessarily mean that we have identified an issue with your compliance documentation. Buildings shall be chosen at random.
You will be contacted by our office to schedule an in-person audit to confirm that the lighting audit is accurate. If there are discrepancies and the lighting does not meet the requirements, there may be an opportunity to request a timeline adjustment to perform the necessary upgrades and avoid penalties.
If you are upgrading the lighting in your building to comply with the Energize Denver building performance requirements, complete the following steps to demonstrate compliance:
1. Complete the Lighting Audit Template
Download the Lighting Audit Template(XLSX, 38KB) and fill it out with all lighting fixtures in the building. You must list all lighting that is connected to the building’s electrical meter(s), including interior, exterior, and parking area lighting.
This spreadsheet must be completed by a lighting professional with one of the following certifications:
- Certified Lighting Consultant through the American Lighting Association
- Licensed Electrical Contractor registered with the State of Colorado
- Lighting Certification from the National Council on Qualifications for the Lighting Professions
- National Association of Innovative Lighting Distributors (NAILD) Lighting Specialist II (LSII) designation
- Certified Lighting Efficiency Professional (CLEP)
- Certified Energy Manager (CEM)
- Service Providers directly implementing Business Energy Assessments or the Multifamily Building Efficiency Program on behalf of Xcel Energy (must be implementing programs on behalf of Xcel Energy; merely being listed as an Xcel Energy trade partner is insufficient)
- Master Electrician licensed in the State of Colorado
- California Advanced Lighting Controls Training Program (CALCTP)
2. Make the required lighting upgrades
These upgrades are to ensure that at least 90% of the building’s lighting load is provided by LEDs.
Not sure how to find a professional to help you with your updates? Check out our Lighting Upgrade Checklist(PDF, 68KB) to help you ask the right questions and find the right contractor for you.
3. Complete the Letter of Attestation for Lighting Compliance
The Letter of Attestation is an online form and must be completed by the lighting professional who completed the Lighting Audit Template.
Once this form is submitted, you will receive an email with the subject line, “ACTION NEEDED: Energize Denver Lighting Compliance: Letter of Attestation for LED Lighting Compliance Result #XXXXXXXX".
Download the attachment that comes with the email. This is a PDF of the signed Letter of Attestation for Lighting Compliance.
4. Complete the online Lighting Compliance Form
When completing the Lighting Compliance Form, you will need to upload both the Lighting Audit Template and the pdf of the Letter of Attestation for Lighting Compliance.
- Note: The Lighting Audit Template must be submitted as a Microsoft Excel file. A PDF copy is not acceptable.
This documentation may be uploaded by the you, the lighting specialist, or anyone else delegated by the building owner. Be sure and have your building ID on hand when you submit your documentation.
Once we review the submitted documentation, we will communicate with you via email to confirm the building’s compliance status or to request additional information. You can expect a response within 10 business days, though this timeline may be extended due to heavy volumes of compliance documentation.
We reserve the right to select buildings at random for in-person audits to confirm accuracy of the lighting audit documentation. If your building is selected for an audit, this does not necessarily mean that we have identified an issue with your compliance documentation. Buildings shall be chosen at random.
You will be contacted by our office to schedule an in-person audit to confirm that the lighting audit is accurate. If there are discrepancies and the lighting does not meet the requirements, there may be an opportunity to request a timeline adjustment to perform the necessary upgrades and avoid penalties.
Your onsite renewable energy generation equipment (e.g. solar panels) must provide a minimum of 20% of your building’s annual site energy usage – this is the total amount of gas and electricity used in one (1) calendar year by your building.
Complete the following steps to demonstrate compliance:
1. Calculate Your Annual Site Energy Use
You will need 12 months of Xcel Energy billing statements for any calendar year from 2022 onwards. You will use these energy bills to calculate your annual site energy usage. You can do this in one of two ways:
- Create an Energy Star Portfolio Manager Statement of Energy Performance. Under the heading titled “Annual Energy by Fuel”, add together the electricity and gas consumption. This will give you your annual site energy usage, measured in kBtu. Multiply this amount by 0.2 to calculate the minimum amount of renewable energy your building must produce annual to meet the requirement.
- Complete the Annual Site Energy Usage Spreadsheet. For each of the 12 months, enter both the electricity and gas usage in the appropriate columns. The spreadsheet will automatically calculate your building’s annual site energy usage, measured in kBtu. At to the bottom of the spreadsheet, select ‘Renewable Energy’ as your compliance path and the minimum amount of renewable energy that your building must produce will be displayed in kWhr.
2. Complete the Renewable Energy Compliance Form
Once you have either installed or confirmed that your existing on-site renewables meet the 20% requirement, you will complete and submit the Renewable Energy Compliance Form.
You will need to upload the following when submitting this form:
- The document that confirms the building’s annual site energy usage
- This is either the Energy Star Portfolio Manager Statement of Energy Performance or the Annual Site Energy Usage spreadsheet, whichever one you chose to use in Step 1 above.
- A copy of one of the energy bills that was used to calculate annual site energy usage. Any month may be submitted.
- Proof that the renewable energy system is installed, which can be one of the following:
- Invoice from the contractor
- Installation contract from the developer
- Interconnection agreement and permission to operate notification from Xcel Energy
- Proof of the system's annual power generation, which can be one of the following:
- Installer invoice or installation contract detailing the estimated kWh of annual generation
- A signed On-Site Renewable Energy Performance Form
- 12 months of self-generated reports from the system's monitoring software that shows the actual kWh generated
This documentation can be completed by the building owner, the solar installer, or anyone else delegated by the building owner. Be sure you have your building ID on hand when you submit your documentation.
Once we review the submitted documentation, we will communicate with you via email to confirm the building’s compliance status or to request additional information. You can expect a response within 10 business days, though this timeline may be extended due to heavy volumes of compliance documentation.
Read the Onsite Renewables Checklist(PDF, 105KB)
Your off-site renewable energy generation equipment (e.g. solar panels) must provide a minimum of 20% of your building’s annual site energy usage. This is the total amount of gas and electricity used in one calendar year by your building. A minimum of a five-year subscription contract is required for compliance.
Complete the following steps to demonstrate compliance:
1. Calculate Annual Site Energy Usage
You will need 12 months of Xcel Energy billing statements for any calendar year from 2022 onwards. You will use these energy bills to calculate your annual site energy usage. You can do this in one of two ways:
- Create an Energy Star Portfolio Manager Statement of Energy Performance. Under the heading titled “Annual Energy by Fuel”, add together the electricity and gas consumption. This will give you your annual site energy usage, measured in kBtu. Multiply this amount by 0.2 to calculate the minimum amount of renewable energy your building must produce annual to meet the requirement.
- Complete the Annual Site Energy Usage Spreadsheet. For each of the 12 months, enter both the electricity and gas usage in the appropriate columns. The spreadsheet will automatically calculate your building’s annual site energy usage, measured in kBtu. At to the bottom of the spreadsheet, select ‘Renewable Energy’ as your compliance path and the minimum amount of renewable energy that your building must produce will be displayed in kWhr.
2. Complete the Renewable Energy Compliance Form
Once you have either installed or confirmed that your existing on-site renewables meet the 20% requirement, you will complete and submit the Renewable Energy Compliance Form.
You will need to upload the following when submitting this form:
- The document that confirms the building’s annual site energy usage
- This is either the Energy Star Portfolio Manager Statement of Energy Performance or the Annual Site Energy Usage spreadsheet, whichever one you chose to use in Step 1 above.
- A copy of one of the energy bills that was used to calculate annual site energy usage. Any month may be submitted.
- A document that states the amount of off-site renewable energy purchased and utilized by the building. Any of the following are acceptable forms of documentation:
- Evidence of a subscription, lease, or purchase of a share in either a voluntary renewable energy program offered by Xcel Energy that explicitly states how much energy you have purchased and the length of the subscription period (must be a minimum of five years)
- Evidence of a subscription, lease, or purchase of a share in a community solar project that explicitly states how much energy you have purchased and the length of the subscription period (must be a minimum of five years)
- 12 months of Xcel Energy bills or reports that explicitly state the kWh of renewable energy credited to your energy bill
This documentation can be completed by the building owner, the solar installer, or anyone else delegated by the building owner. Be sure you have your building ID on hand when you submit your documentation.
Once we review the submitted documentation, we will communicate with you via email to confirm the building’s compliance status or to request additional information. You can expect a response within 10 business days, though this timeline may be extended due to heavy volumes of compliance documentation.
Read the Offsite Renewables Checklist(PDF, 83KB)
For buildings that either cannot or do not want to pursue LED lighting or renewable energy, this option allows buildings to identify and implement energy efficiency upgrades that result in at least a 15% reduction in annual energy usage.
You can propose any capital upgrade (or combination of upgrades) that will result in a minimum of a 15% annual reduction in site energy usage. However, the following are not allowed:
- Operational improvements which would require ongoing energy benchmarking to confirm.
- Improvements which involve the installation of gas-powered space and water heating equipment.
If you are interest in this option, you must submit an application:
Complete the Alternate Compliance Option Application
You will need to submit the following documents with your application:
- An energy audit of your building that includes estimated energy savings of potential building upgrades. A minimum of an ASHRAE Level 1 audit is required.
- A calculation of the annual site electricity usage of the building’s common spaces. You will need 12 months of Xcel Energy billing statements for any calendar year from 2022 onwards. You can calculate this in one of two ways:
- Create an Energy Star Portfolio Manager Statement of Energy Performance. Under the heading titled “Annual Energy by Fuel”, select only the electricity consumption. This will give you your annual site electricy usage, measured in kBtu. This is the minimum amount of renewable energy your building must utilize annually to meet the requirement.
- Complete the Annual Site Energy Usage Spreadsheet. For each of the 12 months, enter the electricity usage in the appropriate column (note: only complete the monthly electricity usage, do not include the monthly gas consumption). The spreadsheet will automatically calculate your building’s annual site electricity usage, measured in kBtu. At to the bottom of the spreadsheet, select ‘Residential Condominium ACO’ as your compliance path and the minimum amount of renewable energy that your building must utilize annually will be displayed in kWhr.
- A compliance plan. This is a document that summarizes the improvements you plan to make to the building, the timeline for improvements, and how those improvements will result in reaching a minimum 15% reduction in annual site energy usage.
You will receive a response on your application within 10 business days. If approved, you will receive detailed instructions on how to report compliance to the city.
This alternate compliance option allows for residential condos to meet their requirements in shared common spaces only, rather than the entire building. No action will be required for individual condo units.
For the common spaces you will be required to:
- Certify that 100% of the lighting load in common spaces is proved by LEDs
- Install occupancy sensors on all lighting in common spaces (as allowed by Denver's Building and Fire Code)
- Certify that 100% of the electricity usage in common spaces is provided by on- or off-site renewables
Condominium boards/HOAs interested in this option must submit an application to pursue this pathway.
Apply for the Residential Condominium Alternate Compliance Option
You will need to submit the following documents with your application:
- A completed Lighting Audit Template for the building’s common space lighting – this includes interior, exterior and parking area lighting.
- A calculation of the annual site electricity usage of the building’s common spaces. You will need 12 months of Xcel Energy billing statements for any calendar year from 2022 onwards. You can calculate this in one of two ways:
- Create an Energy Star Portfolio Manager Statement of Energy Performance. Under the heading titled “Annual Energy by Fuel”, select only the electricity consumption. This will give you your annual site electricy usage, measured in kBtu. This is the minimum amount of renewable energy your building must utilize annually to meet the requirement.
- Complete the Annual Site Energy Usage Spreadsheet. For each of the 12 months, enter the electricity usage in the appropriate column (note: only complete the monthly electricity usage, do not include the monthly gas consumption). The spreadsheet will automatically calculate your building’s annual site electricity usage, measured in kBtu. At to the bottom of the spreadsheet, select ‘Residential Condominium ACO’ as your compliance path and the minimum amount of renewable energy that your building must utilize annually will be displayed in kWhr.
- A completed compliance plan, which must include the following:
- Overview of all common spaces covered under this option, including the total approximate square footage of common spaces Explanation of how common space energy usage is calculated, i.e. are common spaces sub-metered or is their energy usage an estimate of what percent of the building square footage is common space
- Planned lighting upgrades and renewable energy purchases necessary to reach the final target
- Projected timeline of implementation that will account for the LED installation and renewable energy generation.
You will receive a response on your application within 10 business days. If approved, you will receive detailed instructions on how to report compliance to the city.
Our goal is to help you meet your performance requirements by your deadline. However, there are some circumstances that will allow you an extension on the deadline if necessary, including:
- Planning for a major renovation
- Landmark Preservation Commission Review
- Qualifying financial distress
- Financial solvency concerns
- High vacancy rates
- Change of building ownership
- Restrictions based on lease agreements
- Interconnection delays with Xcel Energy
- Interruptions to production to implement compliance measures
- Having multiple buildings with different compliance deadlines on the same Energy Performance Contract
- Other reasons on a case-by-case basis
Apply for a Timeline Extension
Our application for a Timeline Extension will require you to submit your plan for getting into compliance on the revised timeline.