1521 W PICO BLVD

How does 1521 W PICO BLVD compare with other multifamily housing buildings in Los Angeles?

The latest disclosures cover 3,538 multifamily housing buildings in Los Angeles, out of 11,498 buildings citywide. 1521 W PICO BLVD's ENERGY STAR score of 91 compares with an average of 78 across the 3,344 that report a score; it scores higher than 61% of them and lower than 37%. Its site EUI of 30.3 kBtu/ft² is about 19% below the average of 37.2 kBtu/ft² — it uses less energy per square foot than the typical building in that group.

At 62,962 sq ft, it is roughly in line with the average floor area of 60,540 sq ft for those buildings. It was built in 2010, 35 years later than the group's average year built (1975). Across all 24 jurisdictions BuildingCensus covers, the 59,945 multifamily housing buildings average an ENERGY STAR score of 70 and a site EUI of 59.0 kBtu/ft².

How has 1521 W PICO BLVD's energy performance changed over time?

BuildingCensus holds 9 Los Angeles disclosures for 1521 W PICO BLVD, covering report years 2017–2025. Its ENERGY STAR score went from 85 in 2017 to 91 in 2025 (+6 points). Site EUI moved from 31.9 kBtu/ft² (2017) to 30.3 kBtu/ft² (2025), a 5% decrease. Reported emissions went from 131 tCO₂e to 105 tCO₂e over the same span (down 20%).

What does an ENERGY STAR score of 91 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 91 means the building performs better than about 91% of its national peers. BuildingCensus bands the score into report-card grades; 91 falls in band A — high performer (85–100). Scores of 75 or higher meet the threshold for ENERGY STAR certification; certification itself is a separate, verified application that the disclosure does not record. In Los Angeles, 63% 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. 1521 W PICO BLVD's 30.3 kBtu/ft² across 62,962 sq ft works out to about 1.9 billion Btu (559 MWh-equivalent) in 2025. Its source EUI of 55.4 kBtu/ft² also counts the energy lost generating and delivering that power, which is why it is higher. The disclosure also reports 2,621 thousand gallons of water for the year.

Which law requires 1521 W PICO BLVD to report its energy use?

1521 W PICO BLVD reports under LA Municipal Code Div. 97, §91.9701 (EBEWE), the legal basis of Los Angeles's Existing Buildings Energy & Water Efficiency (EBEWE) program, which publishes each covered building's annual benchmarking results. The record shown here is the report-year 2025 disclosure (source record la:478057838712:2025). EBEWE requires annual benchmarking plus audits/retro-commissioning every five years for privately owned buildings of 20,000 sq ft or more; non-compliance carries a $202 fee (LAMC §91.9712) plus possible late fees.