Independent Sector
Office in Washington, DC, DC · 1602 L Street, NW · 20036
At a glance
Independent Sector is a 60,830-square-foot office building at 1602 L Street, NW in Washington, DC, built in 2006. In its 2016 Washington, DC benchmarking disclosure it reported an ENERGY STAR score of 53 out of 100 (grade D), a site energy-use intensity of 70.1 kBtu/ft² and 489 tCO₂e of greenhouse-gas emissions. That score is higher than 18% of the 774 scored office buildings in Washington, DC.
Clean and Affordable Energy Act / BEPS · reporting year 2016
Benchmarking record
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ENERGY STAR score | 53 (band D) |
| Site EUI | 70.1 kBtu/ft² |
| Source EUI | 220.0 kBtu/ft² |
| GHG emissions | 489 tCO₂e |
| GHG intensity | 8.0 kgCO₂e/ft² |
| Electricity | 1,248,953 kWh |
| Natural gas | 0 therms |
| Water use | 1,943 kgal |
| Gross floor area | 60,830 sq ft |
| Source record | dc:PM2596994:2016 |
The disclosure history
Year over year
| Year | Score | Δ | Site EUI | GHG emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016latest | 53 | +11 | 70.1 kBtu/ft² | 489 tCO₂e |
| 2015 | 42 | -1 | 78.7 kBtu/ft² | 641 tCO₂e |
| 2014 | 43 | -4 | 77.9 kBtu/ft² | 634 tCO₂e |
| 2013 | 47 | 74.1 kBtu/ft² | 571 tCO₂e |
Compliance context
Clean and Affordable Energy Act / BEPS
DC's Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) require buildings below the performance standard to improve over compliance cycles (the first ends December 31, 2026; later cycles run five years), with penalties for buildings that fail to meet their pathway.
Ownership
1602 IS LLC
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Location
- Address
- 1602 L Street, NW
- City
- Washington, DC
- State
- District of Columbia
- ZIP
- 20036
- Coordinates
- 38.90359, -77.03723
Within ~1 km
Nearby benchmarked buildings
- Main Complexscore 59
Office · 1,872,507 sq ft
- International Squarescore 56
Office · 1,233,833 sq ft
- Midtown Centerscore 91
Office · 911,093 sq ft
- Lafayette Centrescore 74
Office · 908,482 sq ft
- 1300 Buildingscore 95
Bank/Financial Institution · 803,167 sq ft
- NGS Headquartersscore 68
Office · 746,237 sq ft
See also: most efficient in Washington, DC · biggest emitters
How does Independent Sector compare with other office buildings in Washington, DC?
The latest disclosures cover 899 office buildings in Washington, DC, out of 6,870 buildings citywide. Independent Sector's ENERGY STAR score of 53 compares with an average of 70 across the 774 that report a score; it scores higher than 18% of them and lower than 81%. Its site EUI of 70.1 kBtu/ft² is about 26% above the average of 55.6 kBtu/ft² — it uses more energy per square foot than the typical building in that group. Its emissions intensity of 8.0 kgCO₂e/ft² is about 60% above the group average of 5.0 kgCO₂e/ft².
At 60,830 sq ft, it is about 72% below the average floor area of 216,135 sq ft for those buildings. It was built in 2006, 32 years later than the group's average year built (1974). 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 Independent Sector's energy performance changed over time?
BuildingCensus holds 4 Washington, DC disclosures for Independent Sector, covering report years 2013–2016. Its ENERGY STAR score went from 47 in 2013 to 53 in 2016 (+6 points). Site EUI moved from 74.1 kBtu/ft² (2013) to 70.1 kBtu/ft² (2016), a 5% decrease. Reported emissions went from 571 tCO₂e to 489 tCO₂e over the same span (down 14%).
What does an ENERGY STAR score of 53 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 53 means the building performs better than about 53% of its national peers. BuildingCensus bands the score into report-card grades; 53 falls in band D — lowest band (1–54). It sits 22 points below 75, the threshold for ENERGY STAR certification. In Washington, DC, 47% 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. Independent Sector's 70.1 kBtu/ft² across 60,830 sq ft works out to about 4.3 billion Btu (1,250 MWh-equivalent) in 2016. Its source EUI of 220.0 kBtu/ft² also counts the energy lost generating and delivering that power, which is why it is higher. The disclosure also reports 1,248,953 kWh of electricity, 0 therms of natural gas and 1,943 thousand gallons of water for the year.
Which law requires Independent Sector to report its energy use?
Independent Sector reports under the Clean and Affordable Energy Act / BEPS, the legal basis of Washington, DC's Building Energy Benchmarking program, which publishes each covered building's annual benchmarking results. The record shown here is the report-year 2016 disclosure (source record dc:PM2596994:2016). DC's Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) require buildings below the performance standard to improve over compliance cycles (the first ends December 31, 2026; later cycles run five years), with penalties for buildings that fail to meet their pathway.
More office buildings in Washington, DC
- 1222 22nd St NW· 60,728 sq ft · score 65 (C)
- Rhodium, LLC· 60,720 sq ft · score 38 (D)
- Anacostia Gateway· 60,532 sq ft · score 30 (D)
- Jemal's Chinatown I· 60,396 sq ft · EUI 61.7 kBtu/ft²
- 1819 L Street NW· 60,044 sq ft · score 76 (B)
- 475 School st· 60,000 sq ft · score 87 (A)
- Office buildings in Washington, DC· 899 benchmarked
- All Washington, DC benchmarked buildings· Clean and Affordable Energy Act / BEPS
- Most efficient large buildings in Washington, DC
- Least efficient large buildings in Washington, DC
- Biggest emitters in Washington, DC
Frequently asked questions
What is Independent Sector's energy grade?
Independent Sector scores 53 out of 100 on ENERGY STAR — band D, lowest band (1–54) — in its 2016 Washington, DC disclosure. Scores are national percentiles against similar buildings; 75+ qualifies for ENERGY STAR certification.
How much energy does Independent Sector use?
Its 2016 site energy-use intensity was 70.1 kBtu/ft² (220.0 kBtu/ft² source) across 60,830 sq ft, including 1,248,953 kWh of electricity and 0 therms of natural gas.
What are Independent Sector's carbon emissions?
Independent Sector reported 489 tCO₂e of greenhouse-gas emissions (8.0 kgCO₂e/ft²) for 2016.
Where is Independent Sector?
Independent Sector is at 1602 L Street, NW, in Washington, DC 20036. Its coordinates are 38.90359, -77.03723 (latitude, longitude), as published in the Building Energy Benchmarking file.
How big is Independent Sector and when was it built?
Independent Sector has 60,830 sq ft of gross floor area, as reported in its 2016 disclosure. The disclosure lists 2006 as its year built. It is classed as office.
Is Independent Sector covered by the Clean and Affordable Energy Act / BEPS?
Yes — it appears in the 2016 Building Energy Benchmarking disclosure, which lists the buildings reporting under the Clean and Affordable Energy Act / BEPS.
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About this data
Source: Building Energy Benchmarking (Clean and Affordable Energy Act / BEPS), as published July 9, 2026. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: BuildingCensus, “Independent Sector, Washington, DC — 2016 benchmarking disclosure”, https://buildingcensus.com/buildings/washington-dc/independent-sector-14ab3ff0 (data as of July 9, 2026).