AB 802: California's Commercial Building Energy Benchmarking Law
AB 802 requires all California commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet to benchmark annual energy usage and report to the California Energy Commission by June 1 each year. Failure to comply results in fines of up to $2,000 per day.
What Is AB 802?
AB 802 is a California state law that requires commercial and multifamily building owners to annually benchmark their building's energy usage and report that data to the California Energy Commission (CEC). Signed into law in 2015 and effective since 2018, it applies to all buildings with 50,000 square feet or more of conditioned space.
Benchmarking is performed using the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager platform — a free EPA tool that generates a 1–100 score comparing your building's energy efficiency against similar properties nationwide. The score and underlying data are reported to the CEC, which publishes the results publicly.
Who Must Comply With AB 802?
Any commercial or multifamily building in California with 50,000 square feet or more of conditioned space must comply with AB 802.
| Building Type | Threshold | Covered? |
|---|---|---|
| Office Buildings | 50,000+ sq ft | ✓ Yes |
| Retail / Shopping Centers | 50,000+ sq ft | ✓ Yes |
| Industrial / Warehouse | 50,000+ sq ft | ✓ Yes |
| Multifamily Residential | 50,000+ sq ft | ✓ Yes |
| Mixed-Use Buildings | 50,000+ sq ft conditioned | ✓ Yes |
| Buildings Under 50,000 sq ft | — | ✗ Exempt |
| R&D / Lab Buildings | Varies | Partial exemption may apply |
AB 802 Compliance Deadlines
The AB 802 annual benchmarking report must be submitted to the California Energy Commission by June 1 each year. This is a hard annual deadline — not a rolling or one-time requirement. Buildings must re-submit every year with updated energy data.
Penalties for AB 802 Non-Compliance
The California Energy Commission can impose fines of up to $2,000 per day for each day a building owner fails to submit the required benchmarking report. The fine clock starts after a 30-day cure period following a formal non-compliance notice from the CEC.
How to Comply With AB 802
AB 802 compliance requires four steps: creating an ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager account, entering building data, obtaining utility data authorization, and submitting the report to the CEC by June 1.
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01Create an ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager AccountRegister at energystar.gov/portfoliomanager. This is the EPA's free benchmarking platform used for all AB 802 reporting.
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02Enter Building CharacteristicsInput your building's physical data: gross floor area, year built, occupancy type, number of occupants, and operating hours.
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03Authorize Utility Data AccessContact your utility provider (SCE, SDG&E, SoCalGas, etc.) to authorize automated data sharing with your Portfolio Manager account. This is required for accurate benchmarking.
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04Submit to the California Energy CommissionUse the Portfolio Manager platform to submit your benchmarking report to the CEC. The submission window opens January 1 and closes June 1 each year.
Frequently Asked Questions
AB 802 (Assembly Bill 802) is a California law that requires all commercial and multifamily buildings over 50,000 square feet to benchmark their annual energy usage using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and report the data to the California Energy Commission (CEC) by June 1 each year.
All commercial and multifamily buildings in California with 50,000 square feet or more of conditioned space must comply with AB 802. This includes office buildings, retail centers, warehouses, industrial facilities, and apartment complexes meeting the size threshold.
The annual AB 802 benchmarking report must be submitted to the California Energy Commission by June 1 each year. Buildings that miss this deadline are subject to daily fines beginning after a 30-day cure period.
The California Energy Commission can impose fines of up to $2,000 per day for each day a building owner fails to submit the required benchmarking report. Fines begin accruing after a 30-day notification period following a non-compliance notice.
To comply with AB 802, you must: (1) create an account in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, (2) enter your building's physical characteristics and energy consumption data, (3) obtain utility data authorization from your utility provider, and (4) submit the benchmarking report to the California Energy Commission through the Portfolio Manager platform by June 1.
Yes. AB 802 applies to all commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet, which includes industrial and warehouse facilities. Some specific exemptions exist for buildings that are primarily R&D laboratories or that have very low energy use, but most industrial buildings above the size threshold must comply.
No. AB 802 is a statewide California law covering buildings over 50,000 square feet. LA EBEWE (Existing Buildings Energy and Water Efficiency) is a stricter Los Angeles city ordinance that covers buildings over 20,000 square feet and additionally requires an ASHRAE Level II energy audit and retro-commissioning report every five years.
Yes. GRD Consulting's Phase 1 service covers the complete AB 802 benchmarking and reporting process — from utility data collection through CEC submission. We handle the entire process so building owners do not need to navigate the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager system themselves.
GRD Consulting handles the complete AB 802 benchmarking and reporting process for Southern California building owners.
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