If you wait until Q3, you’ll face audit delays, higher costs, and serious stress.
San Jose commercial property owners are facing mounting pressure to meet compliance requirements under California’s AB 802 and the city’s local benchmarking ordinance, known as EBEWE. These regulations require large buildings to complete an Energy Audit or Retrocommissioning (A/RCx) every five years—and with enforcement tightening in 2025, Q2 is the perfect time to act. Waiting until Q3 can leave you scrambling to find a qualified provider, often at a higher cost and with fewer scheduling options.
Planning your Commercial Energy Audit in Q2 gives you room to breathe. You’ll have more flexibility to assess your property, address maintenance needs, and even uncover energy savings opportunities or rebate eligibility before the summer rush. Early action also positions you to meet all EBEWE and A/RCx requirements without last-minute surprises. In the next sections, we’ll break down what these mandates mean for your property, why the window is closing fast, and how our San Jose Energy Audit experts can help you stay ahead of the curve—calmly and cost-effectively.
Understanding the Compliance Landscape in San Jose
California’s AB 802 and the City of San Jose’s Energy and Water Building Efficiency Ordinance (EBEWE) require commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet to complete an Energy Audit or Retrocommissioning (A/RCx) every five years. These regulations are part of California’s broader effort to improve energy transparency, reduce building emissions, and promote sustainability in the built environment. If your building has not completed an audit within the past five years, it will need to comply before the next enforcement cycle begins in earnest in 2025.
The California Energy Commission’s Benchmarking Program provides guidelines for AB 802, while the City of San Jose’s Benchmarking Page outlines local compliance expectations. These include not only submitting benchmarking reports but also following up with audits or RCx to ensure long-term efficiency and performance improvements.
Planning ahead—especially in Q2 (April through June)—is essential. Once the summer rush begins in Q3, scheduling delays and higher provider costs become unavoidable.
Why Q2 Is the Smart Window
Waiting until Q3 to begin your energy audit process puts your property in a reactive position. Providers across San Jose are typically overwhelmed by July as a flood of last-minute requests come in, especially from owners racing to meet compliance before enforcement penalties apply. When that happens, costs rise, timelines stretch, and your ability to make cost-effective improvements shrinks.
By contrast, Q2 offers a calmer, more strategic window for audit planning. Here’s a breakdown of how the two quarters compare:
Q2 vs. Q3 Audit Planning Timeline
| Factor | Q2 (April–June) | Q3 (July–September) |
| Provider Availability | High availability with flexible scheduling | Limited availability; providers often fully booked |
| Cost | Competitive rates; early bird pricing | Higher costs due to rush demand |
| Audit Turnaround Time | Faster completion and delivery | Slower due to audit backlogs |
| Rebate Access | Full access to early-year incentives | Risk of missing program deadlines |
| Compliance Risk | Low, with plenty of time to act | Higher, especially near end-of-year enforcement |
| Planning Flexibility | Ideal for scheduling and internal approvals | Limited due to summer schedules and peak usage |
Delaying too long can cost more than just time. Beginning in 2025, non-compliant buildings may face fines ranging from $500 to $2,000 per property per year, depending on the size and severity of the oversight. These fines can be compounded by added operational expenses and missed upgrade opportunities.
Early Audits = More Than Just Compliance
While staying ahead of regulation is a core reason to act in Q2, there’s also significant strategic value. An Energy Audit provides insights that go far beyond compliance. It identifies inefficiencies in HVAC systems, lighting, insulation, building controls, and occupant behavior—offering real opportunities for energy and cost savings.
Even better, several rebate and incentive programs are available in the first half of the year that can help offset the cost of audits or recommended improvements. These include:
- California Energy Design Assistance (CEDA) – Supports energy-efficient building retrofits and offers financial incentives for approved upgrades.
- PG&E Retro-Commissioning Incentives – Offers rebates for recommissioning work identified during RCx studies, such as optimizing HVAC schedules or fixing control issues.
- BayREN Building Energy Savings Program – A regional program offering free technical assistance and financial incentives for energy efficiency upgrades.
Many of these programs have application deadlines or funding limits that make early-year planning essential.
Supporting ESG and LEED Goals
Early audits also help your organization make measurable progress toward ESG targets and green building certifications. Energy efficiency plays a major role in environmental reporting, and having a recent, verified audit strengthens your building’s performance metrics for internal reporting, investor relations, or tenant communication.
If your building is pursuing or maintaining LEED O+M certification, a completed audit or RCx is often a required or heavily weighted component. Starting the audit process in Q2 ensures you can incorporate recommendations into your broader sustainability strategy without being rushed.
Ideal Q2 Timeline for Energy Audit Success
To make the most of the Q2 window, use this suggested timeline to keep your project on track:
- April – Early May
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- Contact qualified Energy Audit providers in San Jose.
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- Review building benchmarking data and identify any recent changes to building usage or systems.
- Mid May
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- Schedule your on-site walkthrough.
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- Prepare necessary documentation and ensure building access for the auditor.
- Late May – June
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- Complete the audit or RCx.
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- Begin reviewing findings with your facilities or operations team.
- July
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- Submit compliance documentation.
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- Apply for any relevant rebates or incentives.
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- Begin implementing high-priority improvements.
What You’ll Need to Prepare
Getting audit-ready doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here’s a quick checklist for building managers to simplify the process:
- ✅ 12 months of utility bills (electricity, gas, water)
- ✅ Access to key building systems and equipment (HVAC, lighting, controls)
- ✅ Maintenance logs and any relevant service history
- ✅ Floor plans and equipment specifications
- ✅ Building occupancy and usage patterns
- ✅ Benchmarking report (if already submitted)
- ✅ Point of contact on-site who can walk through systems with the auditor
- ✅ List of known system performance issues or tenant complaints
Being organized up front helps your audit team work efficiently—and can lead to faster compliance and lower overall costs.
Taking action in Q2 gives you more than just peace of mind. It helps you stay compliant, lower costs, access rebates, and improve building performance with minimal disruption. You’ll be ready for 2025 and positioned to deliver real value to your tenants, investors, and operations team.
Don’t Wait for the Rush: Secure Your Q2 Energy Audit Today
Acting now, in Q2, gives you the best shot at stress-free compliance, competitive pricing, and full access to energy-saving rebates—all while avoiding the Q3 scramble that drives up costs and limits your options. Don’t wait until the deadlines are breathing down your neck. Connect with our San Jose Energy Audit experts today and get ahead of EBEWE and AB 802 requirements with a clear, confident plan that saves time, cuts costs, and sets your building up for long-term efficiency.
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