Non-residential, 100,000 sf and larger
Reduce emissions from 2026, net zero in 2035.
Cambridge Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance
Cambridge BEUDO: 2026 is the first compliance year for large buildings.
Non-residential buildings of 100,000 square feet and larger must cut emissions 20% below baseline in Compliance Period 1, 2026 to 2029, and reach net zero in 2035. Buildings of 25,000 to 100,000 square feet follow, with net zero in 2050. Shortfalls are covered with Alternative Compliance Credits at $234 each in the first period.
Who is covered
BEUDO sets emissions reductions by size, and disclosure for large residential buildings.
Non-residential, 25,000 to 100,000 sf
Stay below baseline, 40% reduction in 2030 to 2034, net zero in 2050.
Residential, 50 units and more
Report energy and water use each year. No reduction requirement.
How we help
Emissions down first, then reporting the City can rely on.
BEUDO gap check
Your baseline, the Compliance Period 1 limit and the number of credits the building would need today.
Retro-commissioning
Controls, schedules, setpoints and sequences tuned and verified device by device. Usually the fastest and least costly way to cut energy use and emissions.
CommissioningDecarbonization roadmap
Energy modeling of electrification, envelope and system options in energy, cost and carbon, timed against each compliance period.
Energy modelingBaseline and configuration requests
Engineering support for an alternative baseline or property configuration request, before the deadlines.
Third-party verification
We prepare the energy and water data and coordinate the verification with an approved, independent verifier, so the verification stays independent.
Measures or credits
The cost of each measure against the Alternative Compliance Credits it avoids over the period.
How a BEUDO engagement runs
From the first check to verified reporting.
Week 1
Gap check
Baseline, limit, credits at risk and the measures still in reach.
Weeks 2 to 6
Field work
Retro-commissioning and quick measures, verified device by device.
Next
Roadmap
Options modeled against the 2029 and 2035 limits.
Early 2027
Data
2026 energy and water data assembled for verification.
By May 1, 2027
Filing
Verified 2026 data reported in Portfolio Manager.
On site within 48 hours in Massachusetts
Cambridge and Boston with one team
We are on site in Cambridge within 48 hours of the first call, and the same engineers cover Boston BERDO.
BEUDO questions
When is the first compliance year?
2026, for non-residential buildings of 100,000 square feet and larger. Compliance Period 1 runs from 2026 to 2029.
What does a shortfall cost?
In the first compliance period, each Alternative Compliance Credit costs $234. The City sets the price for later periods. Fines of up to $300 per violation per day can follow a first warning.
Which data needs verification?
The two baseline years and the first year of each compliance period, so 2026 data needs third-party verification by an approved verification body.
Do you do the verification?
We prepare the data and coordinate the verification with an approved verification body, so it stays independent.
When is the annual report due?
May 1 each year, for the prior year's energy and water use, through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.
Book a 15-minute BEUDO check
Tell us the building. We reply within one business day and can be on site in Cambridge within 48 hours.
Prefer to talk? +1 (646) 296-8091 or [email protected]
From the City of Cambridge BEUDO pages, the 2023 BEUDO amendments and 2026 procedures as of November 2026. Confirm your building's requirements with the Cambridge Community Development Department.