BEPS & BPS: The Building Performance Standards Playbook for Lighting and Controls

Building Performance Standards (BPS) / Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) are the policy trend that matters most for existing buildings right now: they force performance improvements over time instead of “one-and-done” design compliance.

This post is the plain-English version aimed at owners, operators, and the engineers/contractors who end up implementing it.

1) What BEPS/BPS actually is (not marketing)

A BPS is a rule that requires buildings to hit performance targets (energy use and/or emissions) by certain deadlines. Washington, DC’s BEPS is a canonical example: it was created under the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act of 2018 and targets deep reductions in energy use and GHG emissions by 2032. (DC DOEE overview: https://doee.dc.gov/service/building-energy-performance-standards-beps)

EPA’s BPS overview is also worth reading because it explains the “policy shape” across jurisdictions: performance targets, timelines, reporting/benchmarking, and enforcement. (EPA PDF: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-12/section-2-building-performance-standards_11-29-2022.pdf)

2) Why lighting is often the easiest “first compliance cycle” lever

In many existing buildings, lighting is attractive because it’s:

• highly measurable (kWh savings show up fast)
• low disruption compared to full HVAC replacement
• stackable with controls + sensors (real operational savings)

But the best approach is not “LED swap + occupancy sensors and call it a day.” The bigger win is building-wide visibility and control.

3) The compliance workflow (what owners actually do)

Across jurisdictions, the workflow usually looks like:

1. Benchmark + report (often ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager)
2. Get your current performance score / baseline
3. Compare to the required standard (by building type, size, etc.)
4. If you miss, pick a path:
   • operational tuning (controls, schedules, commissioning)
   • retrofit upgrades (lighting, HVAC, envelope)
   • electrification / fuel switching (in emissions-based policies)
5. Document your plan + execute before the cycle ends

ACEEE’s 2024 overview highlights how programs are being evaluated across places like Washington DC, NYC, St. Louis, Boston, and Denver. (ACEEE paper: https://www.aceee.org/sites/default/files/proceedings/ssb24/assets/attachments/20240722163111500_cb7d963c-92ff-4502-b5bd-853fa15a8e53.pdf)

4) Where “DC + native controls + data” fits

If your building strategy is “install upgrades, then hope occupants don’t drift back into bad patterns,” you’ll underperform.

A better framing:

• Lighting becomes infrastructure (power + control + sensing + data)
• Controls reduce waste daily (not just at commissioning)
• Data makes performance auditable (and keeps savings from evaporating)

5) A simple BEPS retrofit decision matrix (starter)

Use this to decide where to start:

• If your building has poor schedules / overrides: start with controls + analytics
• If you have fluorescent or early-gen LED: start with fixture upgrades + controls
• If tenant fit-outs change constantly: prioritize flexible, software-defined zones
• If you’re headed toward electrification anyway: build a low-voltage backbone that can carry sensors and future devices with minimal rework

6) What to write into your project scope (so it doesn't fail later)

If you’re bidding/spec’ing work for BEPS:

• Demand measurability: circuit/zone-level data where possible
• Demand commissioning + verification (not optional)
• Demand ongoing monitoring (weekly review beats yearly “re-commissioning”)

7) A note on “fast content”

If you’re publishing BEPS content, don’t bulk-generate thin pages. Google is explicit that “scaled content abuse” is a spam problem when the goal is rankings rather than usefulness. (Google spam policy: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies)

TL;DR

BEPS/BPS is a forcing function. Lighting + controls is one of the highest ROI levers early on if you treat it as operational infrastructure, not a one-time project.

If you want, we can turn this into a one-page “BEPS retrofit checklist” PDF and a matching sales page.