1538 N MARTEL AVE

How does 1538 N MARTEL AVE 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. 1538 N MARTEL AVE's ENERGY STAR score of 82 compares with an average of 78 across the 3,344 that report a score; it scores higher than 44% of them and lower than 53%. Its site EUI of 37.3 kBtu/ft² is roughly in line with the average of 37.2 kBtu/ft².

At 66,360 sq ft, it is roughly in line with the average floor area of 60,540 sq ft for those buildings. It was built in 1987, 12 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 1538 N MARTEL AVE's energy performance changed over time?

BuildingCensus holds 9 Los Angeles disclosures for 1538 N MARTEL AVE, covering report years 2017–2025. Its ENERGY STAR score went from 48 in 2017 to 82 in 2025 (+34 points); its best year on file was 2024, at 82. Site EUI moved from 40.6 kBtu/ft² (2017) to 37.3 kBtu/ft² (2025), a 8% decrease. Reported emissions went from 176 tCO₂e to 136 tCO₂e over the same span (down 23%).

What does an ENERGY STAR score of 82 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 82 means the building performs better than about 82% of its national peers. BuildingCensus bands the score into report-card grades; 82 falls in band B — above median (70–84). 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. 1538 N MARTEL AVE's 37.3 kBtu/ft² across 66,360 sq ft works out to about 2.5 billion Btu (725 MWh-equivalent) in 2025. Its source EUI of 67.9 kBtu/ft² also counts the energy lost generating and delivering that power, which is why it is higher. The disclosure also reports 2,305 thousand gallons of water for the year.

Which law requires 1538 N MARTEL AVE to report its energy use?

1538 N MARTEL AVE 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:455812858695:2025). 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.