Everyone is required to stay home, except for essential needs. When out, protect yourself and those around you by wearing a face covering, staying 6 feet away from others, and washing your hands often. Learn more at cityofberkeley.info/covid19. City offices are closed to the public. Some services are available remotely.

The City of Berkeley Health Officer has ordered all residents to shelter at home, leaving only to receive or provide essential services, starting 12:01 am on Tuesday, March 17. See details of the Order, frequently asked questions, and recommendations from Berkeley Public Health at https://www.cityofberkeley.info/coronavirus.

City Council Live Stream: Please visit https://www.cityofberkeley.info/CalendarEventWebcastMain.aspx

ZAB Live Stream: Please visit http://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Commissions/Zoning_Adjustment_Board_Meeting_-_Video_Stream.aspx.

The City of Berkeley web site is undergoing scheduled maintenance starting on Friday night, September 13 and ending on Saturday afternoon, September 14. During this time, most web pages should be available, but some resources may become unavailable for short periods of time.

Looking for a live stream of the Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) meeting on 5/9/19, at 7:00pm? Please visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1UAnZ8kU8EWllREyOY7rwQ/. The normal viewing methods will not work this time due to a concurrent City Council Special Meeting at the same time.

Looking for a live stream of the Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) meeting on 2/28/19, from 6:00 to 11:00 PM? Please visit http://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/Commissions/Zoning_Adjustment_Board_Meeting_-_Video_Stream.aspx. The normal viewing methods will not work this time due to a concurrent City Council Special Meeting at the same date and time.

PG&E is reporting a widespread outage affecting thousands of customers in Berkeley and many City buildings, including the Finance Customer Service Center and the Permit Service Center. Call respective City services for further details, or check the PG&E outage page. Power is expected to return by 12:45pm. Traffic lights that are not working should be treated as a four-way stop sign.

Translation Disclaimer

Office of Energy & Sustainable Development (OESD)
Office of Energy & Sustainable Development (OESD)

Building Emissions Saving Ordinance (BESO)

Please submit your BESO application and filing fee through the Online BESO Application Portal. If you have any questions, email the BESO Helpdesk at BESO@cityofberkeley.info.

As of July 1st, 2021, buildings less than 25,000 square feet will need to be complete a BESO assessment prior to listing the building for sale. Please see the following PDF for information on the new Time of Listing process. 

Energy use in our homes and commercial buildings is the second leading contributor of greenhouse gases in the City of Berkeley making up 38% of our overall greenhouse gas emissions with 31% of Berkeley's citywide emissions coming from natural gas, according to Berkeley's latest green house gas inventory.

BESO requires building owners and homeowners to complete and publicly report comprehensive energy assessments to uncover energy and GHG emissions saving opportunities. The assessments are conducted by registered energy assessors (for Commercial, Multifamily & Mixed Use or Houses [1-4 unit residential buildings]) who provide tailored recommendations on how to save energy, eliminate fossil fuels and link building owners to incentive programs for energy efficiency and electrification upgrades (for residential see bayrenresidential.org; for multifamily see bayareamultifamily.org). Energy efficiency improvements and electrification recommendations are voluntary and encouraged. BESO is required prior to sale of a house or whole building under 25,000 square feet, and on a 5-year reoccurring cycle for large multifamily and commercial buildings.

BESO Requirements:

  Building Type/Size   New Requirements
 1-4 unit Homes  • Assessment at time of listing (July 1, 2021)
 850 - 14,999 ft2  • Assessment at time of listing (July 1, 2021)
 15,000 - 24,999 ft2  • Assessment at time of listing (July 1, 2021)
 • Annual benchmarking (Summer 2022)
 25,000 ft2 or more  • Assessment every 5 years
 • Annual benchmarking

  How to Comply with BESO: 

 BESO Time of Listing Button  BESO Assessor Icon
BESO Large Building Requirements  BESO How to Benchmark Icon

 

 Links to BESO Documents   

(Refer to BESO Large Building Requirements for buildings over 25,000 ft2) 
 BESO Checklist Small Icon  Online BESO Application Portal* for under 25,000 ft2 
  • Check Compliance Status
  • Submit BESO application and filing fee
  • Retrieve Copy of Compliance Form
  • Download BESO Assessment and Fuel Source Disclosure
 
BESO Assessor Small Icon  Registered Energy Assessor Lists:
  *Visit the BESO Time of Sale page for more information.

 

To learn more about ways to save energy, lower utility bills, and improve the comfort of your home, please see our Energy Efficiency Incentive Programs page.  Participation in one of these verified programs may qualify you for a High Performance exemption.   

BESO Governing Documents:

BESO Resources:

 For questions, email BESO@cityofberkeley.info.

 

Home | Web Policy | Text-Only Site Map | Contact Us
Office of Energy & Sustainable Development (OESD), 1947 Center Street, 1st Floor, Berkeley, CA 94704
Questions or comments? Email: sustainability@cityofberkeley.info Phone: (510) 981-7465
(510) 981-CITY/2489 or 311 from any landline in Berkeley
TTY: (510) 981-6903
###