In response to a request from EMA Headquarters, administrators at San Francisco’s Department of Environment reviewed the Energy Management Professional credential and have included it in their list of certifications that are qualified to perform audits under the San Francisco Existing Commercial Buildings Ordinance.

San Francisco’s Existing Commercial Buildings Ordinance applies to existing commercial buildings with 10,000 square feet or more of space that is heated or cooled. The Ordinance has two separate requirements: energy benchmarking and energy audits. Information and links to more detailed information can be found on the Ordinance homepage.

You will note that Energy Efficiency Audits performed under this statute are required to “meet or exceed the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Procedures for Commercial Building Audits.”

EMPs should know that ASHRAE has published a new Standard, ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 211-2018, that significantly impacts energy audits in commercial buildings. EMPs also meet the definition of “qualified energy auditors” within the Standard due to the EMP’s recognition by DOE’s Better Buildings® Workforce Program.

EMA’s Board of Directors has placed great emphasis on ensuring the EMP Credential is recognized throughout our industry. Addition of the EMP to the San Francisco Existing Commercial Buildings Ordinance and in the new ASHRAE Standard 211 are direct results of this priority.

For questions, contact EMA Headquarters at info@energymgmt.org or call 202-737-1334.