DC energy efficiency rule requires buildings to upgrade their infrastructure or face millions in fines

A Washington D.C. building regulation requires residential building owners to retrofit their buildings with energy efficiency upgrades or face fines in the millions of dollars, reports Dan Charles in Greater Greater Washington.

The Building Energy Performance Standard is one of the first such attempts to regulate energy upgrades for existing buildings, but has come up against the massive cost of retrofits and opposition from owners of historic buildings. "For unpaid condo or co-op board members and their sometimes fractious, cash-strapped co-owners, figuring out how to perform surgery on the arteries and lungs of their century-old buildings can be harrowing."

In response, the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment has softened its stance, making some concessions to building owners. "The agency now says it will waive penalties if a building’s owners are making a good faith effort to satisfy the law. And instead of paying a fine, owners can use that money to pay for efficiency upgrades that the law requires."