639 S COMMONWEALTH AVE

How does 639 S COMMONWEALTH 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. 639 S COMMONWEALTH AVE's ENERGY STAR score of 61 compares with an average of 78 across the 3,344 that report a score; it scores higher than 18% of them and lower than 81%. Its site EUI of 25.6 kBtu/ft² is about 31% below the average of 37.2 kBtu/ft² — it uses less energy per square foot than the typical building in that group.

At 196,790 sq ft, it is about 225% above the average floor area of 60,540 sq ft for those buildings. It was built in 1929, 46 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 639 S COMMONWEALTH AVE's energy performance changed over time?

BuildingCensus holds 10 Los Angeles disclosures for 639 S COMMONWEALTH AVE, covering report years 2016–2025. Its ENERGY STAR score went from 49 in 2019 to 61 in 2025 (+12 points); its best year on file was 2024, at 68. Site EUI moved from 28.1 kBtu/ft² (2019) to 25.6 kBtu/ft² (2025), a 9% decrease. Reported emissions went from 364 tCO₂e to 286 tCO₂e over the same span (down 21%).

What does an ENERGY STAR score of 61 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 61 means the building performs better than about 61% of its national peers. BuildingCensus bands the score into report-card grades; 61 falls in band C — below median (55–69). It sits 14 points below 75, the threshold for ENERGY STAR certification. 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. 639 S COMMONWEALTH AVE's 25.6 kBtu/ft² across 196,790 sq ft works out to about 5 billion Btu (1,476 MWh-equivalent) in 2025. Its source EUI of 69.1 kBtu/ft² also counts the energy lost generating and delivering that power, which is why it is higher. The disclosure also reports 1,136 thousand gallons of water for the year.

Which law requires 639 S COMMONWEALTH AVE to report its energy use?

639 S COMMONWEALTH 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:475053845102:2025). 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.