Case Study for Meeting SmartRegs Requirements for Prescriptive and Performance Pathways in Boulder, Colorado

Abstract

On January 3, 2011, the City of Boulder, Colorado, implemented the SmartRegs ordinances and, in doing so, became the first city in the nation to require energy retrofits for rental properties; 20,000 rental units comprise nearly 50% of Boulder’s total housing stock, and the mandate requires that all rental properties meet the minimum energy standard by 2019. The objective of this research is to explore prescriptive and performance pathways and tools used to comply with SmartRegs. The primary contribution is to illustrate and assess the SmartRegs compliance process rather than to generate or validate precise performance results. The research first uses building optimization software to perform secondary analysis of three previously conducted audits to explore SmartRegs compliance pathways. Next, the research uses a case study consisting of a stand-alone residential rental unit in Boulder to compare prescriptive-based and performance-based SmartRegs upgrade recommendations. Findings highlight the challenges, opportunities, and nuances of implementing such an ordinance. Specifically, special considerations regarding the property’s circumstances may play a large role.