459 W 38TH ST

How does 459 W 38TH ST 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. 459 W 38TH ST's ENERGY STAR score of 100 compares with an average of 78 across the 3,344 that report a score; it scores higher than 86% of them. Its site EUI of 6.0 kBtu/ft² is about 84% below the average of 37.2 kBtu/ft² — it uses less energy per square foot than the typical building in that group.

At 47,400 sq ft, it is about 22% below the average floor area of 60,540 sq ft for those buildings. It was built in 1954, 21 years earlier 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 459 W 38TH ST's energy performance changed over time?

BuildingCensus holds 8 Los Angeles disclosures for 459 W 38TH ST, covering report years 2018–2025. Its ENERGY STAR score was 100 in both 2022 and 2025. Site EUI moved from 2.1 kBtu/ft² (2019) to 6.0 kBtu/ft² (2025), an 186% increase. Reported emissions went from 8 tCO₂e to 16 tCO₂e over the same span (up 86%).

What does an ENERGY STAR score of 100 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: 100 is the top of the scale. BuildingCensus bands the score into report-card grades; 100 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. 459 W 38TH ST's 6.0 kBtu/ft² across 47,400 sq ft works out to about 0.3 billion Btu (83 MWh-equivalent) in 2025. Its source EUI of 10.1 kBtu/ft² also counts the energy lost generating and delivering that power, which is why it is higher. The disclosure also reports 451 thousand gallons of water for the year.

Which law requires 459 W 38TH ST to report its energy use?

459 W 38TH ST 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:476234828384:2025). 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.