The following buildings are automatically exempt from reporting requirements, and no further action is necessary.

• Condominiums
• Buildings with 1–16 residential utility accounts
• Buildings owned by certain government agencies, including the County of San Diego, State of California, United States of America, Metropolitan Transit Service or San Diego Unified School District
• Buildings where more than half the gross floor area is used for scientific experiments requiring controlled environments, manufacturing or industrial purposes, and are eligible for exemption from the annual benchmarking reporting requirements
  • However, buildings with a gross floor area greater than 50,000 square feet that meet these definitions are still shown on the Covered Buildings List as “Not Subject to Ordinance”.

If your building meets these definitions but is not currently shown as “Not Subject to Ordinance” on the Covered Building List, please fill out an Exemption Request using the steps below in How to request an exemption.

Building owners may file for an annual exemption under the following circumstances*:

• The building did not have a certificate of occupancy for more than six months of the year the building owner is benchmarking
• Demolition work on the disclosable building has begun, and it is no longer possible to obtain a certificate of occupancy
• The City determines that disclosure of the building’s energy use data would result in the release of proprietary information that can be considered a trade secret
• The building owner is unable to collect sufficient information to complete a benchmarking submission and is unable to submit proof that a request for data from the utility or tenants was denied

*These exemptions are not automatic and require approval from the City and the building owner to file a basic building characteristic report.

If you believe your building qualifies for an exemption from the City’s Building Energy Benchmarking requirement, you must submit an exemption request with supporting documentation for City review.

Exemption requests must be submitted by March 31 annually. Requests received after this deadline may not be accepted.

Step 1: Confirm your building information

Before submitting your request, please confirm the following information:

• Building address (as listed in benchmarking records)
• San Diego Building ID (if available)
• Portfolio Manager Property ID (if applicable)
• Primary contact name, email address and phone number

Step 2: Prepare supporting documentation

All exemption requests must include supporting documentation verifying the reason for the request.

Depending on the request, this may include:

• Confirmation of owner
• Proof of vacancy or non-occupancy
• Demolition permits or redevelopment documentation
• Evidence that whole-building energy data cannot be obtained (such as copies of utility or tenant data requests and responses)
• A floor area plan that clearly shows 50% of gross floor area of the building is used as science, manufacturing and industrial occupancy
• Other documents supporting the exemption reason

Incomplete submissions may be delayed or denied.

Step 3: Submit your exemption request

1. Fill out your Exemption Request
2. Upload all required documentation
3. Submit the request for review

Step 4: City review and confirmation

After submission, the City will review your request. You may be contacted if additional information is needed. Please keep a copy of your submission and confirmation for your records.

View the Knowledgebase, General Inquiries, and Exemption/Extension Requests Video Tutorial

1. Fill out your Extension Request
2. Upload all required documentation (if applicable)
3. Submit the request for review

How to submit a general inquiry

1. Fill out your General Inquiry Request
2. Upload all required documentation (if applicable)
3. Submit the request for review

View the General Inquiry Request Video Tutorial:

How to make a virtual appointment with City staff

The City offers benchmarking support meetings by appointment. Meetings are available virtually or by phone. To schedule an appointment, please email benchmarkingsupport@sandiego.gov.

To access the BEAM Building Owner Portal, please start by filling out a registration request. City staff will get back to you within a few business days with a link to set up.

Once you receive an email response:

• Click on the link and enter the information prompted on the screen. Create a username and password.
  • Note: You MUST register for BEAM using the same email address associated with your properties on Energy Star Portfolio Manager. If you use a different email address, the system will not find any of your properties.
• Check your email for a confirmation email. Please allow up to 30 minutes for the email to arrive. If the email does not arrive, please check your spam folder.
• Follow the link provided in the email. You are now logged into BEAM!

View the BEAM Registration Video Tutorial

Once you log into the BEAM Building Owner Portal, you can use the navigation bar on the left side of the screen to navigate to different parts of the portal.

• Click your name to edit user account settings
• Click on "Inventory" to view a table with all of your properties vertically and a snapshot of available data horizontally
• Click on "Organization" to see who has access to your buildings and add more building viewers
• Click on "Helpdesk" to get to the City of San Diego Knowledgebase and Helpdesk

View the Building Owner Portal Navigation Video Tutorial

Having trouble accessing BEAM?

If you are unable to access BEAM, please email benchmarkingsupport@sandiego.gov with the subject line: BEAM Access issue.

The City of San Diego will accept previous year benchmarking reports from Jan. 1, 2026, through March 30, 2026. Ongoing benchmarking reporting for the 2026 benchmarking cycle will continue according to the standard annual reporting timeline, with submissions accepted from Jan. 1, 2026, through June 1, 2026.

BEAM Knowledgebase

BEAM Knowledgebase contains articles, user guides and instructional videos that may support your understanding and use of the BEAM Building Owner Portal. Please check whether these articles address your problem prior to opening a support ticket.