Resources for Building Owners & Managers

Improve the Performance of Your Building

As policies for energy efficiency and emissions from existing buildings evolve, it is becoming increasingly important for building owners and operators to incorporate high-performance operations and maintenance and strategic decarbonization planning.

Thoughtful planning can result in successful retrofits that reduce energy costs, increase tenant satisfaction, raise the value of your building, and future-proof against likely policy changes.

More Resources for Building Owners and Managers

Benchmarking & Performance Standards Compliance 

  • The California Energy Commission’s (CEC’s) Building Energy Benchmarking Program page provides building owners with compliance resources, including step-by-step guides, reporting tools, and energy efficiency solutions to help them meet state benchmarking requirements, access utility rebates, and implement cost-saving improvements for their commercial and multifamily properties.

  • Use the CEC’s lookup tool to check your building’s compliance status through the Covered Buildings List for the California Building Energy Use Disclosure and Public Benchmarking Program.

  • The CEC hosts lists of building energy efficiency resources for commercial and multifamily building owners and managers.

Implementation Guides

  • The Hub’s Strategic Performance and Building Decarbonization Guide provides California building owners and facility managers with practical strategies, case studies, and step-by-step guidance for improving energy efficiency, reducing operational costs, and meeting state benchmarking requirements through building retrofits and system upgrades.

  • USGBC, ASHRAE, and NYSERDA developed their Guide to Strategic Decarbonization Planning, which integrates planning, budgeting, and implementation in order to enable deep reductions in operational greenhouse gas emissions.

  • The Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Solutions Center provides building owners and facility managers collection of proven energy efficiency solutions, financing tools, technical resources, and case studies to help implement building improvements that reduce energy costs while meeting state benchmarking and performance requirements.

  • The William J. Worthen Foundation’s Building Decarbonization Practice Guide provides California building owners and facility managers with practical, case study-based strategies for achieving zero carbon buildings, covering everything from design and construction considerations to specific guidance for multifamily, commercial, and institutional buildings.

Operations & Maintenance Guides

Resources for Multifamily Owners and Managers 

  • Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future’s (SAHF’s) Building Performance Standards: Multifamily Affordable Housing Sector Impacts report (2025) provides an overview of how building performance standards (BPS) are being developed and implemented across the U.S., highlighting key policy trends, compliance strategies, and the potential impacts on affordable multifamily housing owners and operators.

  • Enterprise Community Partners developed an Affordable Housing Decarbonization Hub that provides building owners, facility managers, and affordable housing professionals with practical guides, funding opportunities, case studies, and technical resources to help decarbonize multifamily properties while improving energy performance and resident comfort.

  • USGBC California developed a Menu of Efficiency and Electrification for multifamily owners and managers to visualize pathways toward higher performing buildings along with programs and incentives to help finance projects.

Resources for K-12 Schools 

  • USGBC California’s Green Campus Toolkit provides sustainable strategies for K-12 facilities and operations teams, including energy efficiency, indoor and outdoor environmental quality, water conservation, and waste management.

  • USGBC’s Center for Green Schools has a resource page that includes resources on climate resiliency, indoor air quality, and decarbonizing school campuses.

General Resource Libraries

  • The Building Decarbonization Coalition's Resource Library offers California-specific guides, case studies, policy briefs, technical reports, and financing tools that help building owners, facility managers, and policymakers navigate the transition to clean energy buildings through electrification, energy efficiency, and decarbonization strategies.

  • The Institute for Market Transformation's (IMT’s) Resource Library provides guides, toolkits, case studies, and policy briefs on building performance standards, energy benchmarking, and decarbonization strategies to help improve building efficiency while meeting compliance requirements and accessing available incentives.

  • The Building Performance Association's Resource Library provides a collection of technical guides, webinars, case studies, and tools focused on energy efficiency, building science, and retrofit strategies to improve building performance while reducing operational costs and environmental impact.

  • RMI’s Research and Analysis resources include guides, case studies, and analytical tools for implementing cost-effective building electrification strategies, accessing financing options, and developing phased approaches to achieve zero-carbon buildings while maintaining affordability.