At a glance
255 Main Street is a 281,000-square-foot office building in Cambridge, Massachusetts, built in 1987. In its 2024 Cambridge benchmarking disclosure it reported an ENERGY STAR score of 63 out of 100 (grade C), a site energy-use intensity of 63.3 kBtu/ft² and 1,283 tCO₂e of greenhouse-gas emissions. That score is higher than 35% of the 94 scored office buildings in Cambridge.
BEUDO · reporting year 2024
Benchmarking record
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ENERGY STAR score | 63 (band C) |
| Site EUI | 63.3 kBtu/ft² |
| Source EUI | 177.1 kBtu/ft² |
| GHG emissions | 1,283 tCO₂e |
| GHG intensity | — |
| Electricity | 5,209,144 kWh |
| Water use | 2,338 kgal |
| Gross floor area | 281,000 sq ft |
| Source record | cambridge:B1307:2024 |
The disclosure history
Year over year
| Year | Score | Δ | Site EUI | GHG emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024latest | 63 | +2 | 63.3 kBtu/ft² | 1,283 tCO₂e |
| 2023 | 61 | +1 | 64.9 kBtu/ft² | 1,317 tCO₂e |
| 2022 | 60 | +7 | 66.9 kBtu/ft² | 1,351 tCO₂e |
| 2021 | 53 | -4 | 72.7 kBtu/ft² | 1,478 tCO₂e |
| 2020 | 57 | +2 | 69.6 kBtu/ft² | 1,385 tCO₂e |
| 2019 | 55 | -6 | 71.6 kBtu/ft² | 1,321 tCO₂e |
| 2018 | 61 | +9 | 66.1 kBtu/ft² | 1,304 tCO₂e |
| 2017 | 52 | +4 | 73.9 kBtu/ft² | 1,555 tCO₂e |
| 2016 | 48 | +17 | 77.8 kBtu/ft² | 1,638 tCO₂e |
| 2015 | 31 | 94.9 kBtu/ft² | 2,045 tCO₂e |
Compliance context
BEUDO
Cambridge's 2023 BEUDO amendments require non-residential buildings of 100,000+ sq ft to reach net-zero emissions by 2035 (reductions starting 2026) and those of 25,000–100,000 sq ft by 2050 (starting 2030).
Ownership
BARRETT, DAVID, EDWARD H. LINDE ET-AL
Own or manage this building? Claim it to correct the record and get compliance alerts.
Location
- Address
- 255 Main Street
- City
- Cambridge
- State
- Massachusetts
- Coordinates
- 42.36270, -71.08530
Within ~1 km
Nearby benchmarked buildings
- 50-60 Binney STscore —
Mixed Use Property · 532,739 sq ft
- 325 Main Stscore 87
Office · 494,512 sq ft
- 145 Broadwayscore 91
Office · 490,000 sq ft
- 314 Main St.score 80
Office · 482,220 sq ft
- 303 Binney Stscore —
Laboratory · 480,000 sq ft
- 32 VASSAR STscore —
College/University · 464,005 sq ft
See also: most efficient in Cambridge · biggest emitters
How does 255 Main Street compare with other office buildings in Cambridge?
The latest disclosures cover 117 office buildings in Cambridge, out of 902 buildings citywide. 255 Main Street's ENERGY STAR score of 63 compares with an average of 64 across the 94 that report a score; it scores higher than 35% of them and lower than 64%. Its site EUI of 63.3 kBtu/ft² is about 20% below the average of 78.7 kBtu/ft² — it uses less energy per square foot than the typical building in that group.
At 281,000 sq ft, it is about 132% above the average floor area of 121,167 sq ft for those buildings. It was built in 1987, 22 years later than the group's average year built (1965). Across all 24 jurisdictions BuildingCensus covers, the 15,264 office buildings average an ENERGY STAR score of 73 and a site EUI of 59.3 kBtu/ft².
How has 255 Main Street's energy performance changed over time?
BuildingCensus holds 10 Cambridge disclosures for 255 Main Street, covering report years 2015–2024. Its ENERGY STAR score went from 31 in 2015 to 63 in 2024 (+32 points). Site EUI moved from 94.9 kBtu/ft² (2015) to 63.3 kBtu/ft² (2024), a 33% decrease. Reported emissions went from 2,045 tCO₂e to 1,283 tCO₂e over the same span (down 37%).
What does an ENERGY STAR score of 63 mean?
ENERGY STAR scores run from 1 to 100 and are computed by the EPA's Portfolio Manager as a percentile against similar buildings nationwide, adjusted for climate, size and use: a score of 63 means the building performs better than about 63% of its national peers. BuildingCensus bands the score into report-card grades; 63 falls in band C — below median (55–69). It sits 12 points below 75, the threshold for ENERGY STAR certification. In Cambridge, 50% of scored buildings are at 75 or above.
Site energy-use intensity (EUI) is the energy a building uses on site in a year divided by its floor area, in thousand Btu per square foot — lower is more efficient. 255 Main Street's 63.3 kBtu/ft² across 281,000 sq ft works out to about 17.8 billion Btu (5,213 MWh-equivalent) in 2024. Its source EUI of 177.1 kBtu/ft² also counts the energy lost generating and delivering that power, which is why it is higher. The disclosure also reports 5,209,144 kWh of electricity and 2,338 thousand gallons of water for the year.
Which law requires 255 Main Street to report its energy use?
255 Main Street reports under BEUDO, the legal basis of Cambridge's Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO), which publishes each covered building's annual benchmarking results. The record shown here is the report-year 2024 disclosure (source record cambridge:B1307:2024). Cambridge's 2023 BEUDO amendments require non-residential buildings of 100,000+ sq ft to reach net-zero emissions by 2035 (reductions starting 2026) and those of 25,000–100,000 sq ft by 2050 (starting 2030).
More office buildings in Cambridge
- 90 Broadway· 280,488 sq ft · score 72 (B)
- 355 Main Street· 262,476 sq ft · score 78 (B)
- 25 First Street· 252,662 sq ft · score 91 (A)
- 617 Concord Ave· 236,774 sq ft
- 2 First Street· 211,618 sq ft · score 73 (B)
- 50 Hampshire Street· 202,023 sq ft · EUI 93.8 kBtu/ft²
- Office buildings in Cambridge· 117 benchmarked
- All Cambridge benchmarked buildings· BEUDO
- Most efficient large buildings in Cambridge
- Least efficient large buildings in Cambridge
- Biggest emitters in Cambridge
Frequently asked questions
What is 255 Main Street's energy grade?
255 Main Street scores 63 out of 100 on ENERGY STAR — band C, below median (55–69) — in its 2024 Cambridge disclosure. Scores are national percentiles against similar buildings; 75+ qualifies for ENERGY STAR certification.
How much energy does 255 Main Street use?
Its 2024 site energy-use intensity was 63.3 kBtu/ft² (177.1 kBtu/ft² source) across 281,000 sq ft, including 5,209,144 kWh of electricity.
What are 255 Main Street's carbon emissions?
255 Main Street reported 1,283 tCO₂e of greenhouse-gas emissions for 2024.
Where is 255 Main Street?
255 Main Street is in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its coordinates are 42.36270, -71.08530 (latitude, longitude), as published in the Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO) file.
How big is 255 Main Street and when was it built?
255 Main Street has 281,000 sq ft of gross floor area, as reported in its 2024 disclosure. The disclosure lists 1987 as its year built. It is classed as office.
Is 255 Main Street covered by BEUDO?
Yes — it appears in the 2024 Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO) disclosure, which lists the buildings reporting under BEUDO.
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About this data
Source: Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO) (BEUDO), as published October 2, 2026. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: BuildingCensus, “255 Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts — 2024 benchmarking disclosure”, https://buildingcensus.com/buildings/cambridge/255-main-street-d551f42e (data as of October 2, 2026).