Determination of Options for an Adaptive Reuse Credit is an analysis, dated December 6, 2024, that New Buildings Institute prepared for the City and County of Denver. It tests how a building that is renovated and repurposed instead of demolished could be credited under the Energize Denver Building Performance Policy. It is a study with tables and equations, not an application: it has no form fields, no signature block and no filing address. On FillingPDF you can view and download the official PDF, which the city publishes on denvergov.org.
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What is Determination of Options for an Adaptive Reuse Credit – Denver, CO?
The Determination of Options for an Adaptive Reuse Credit is a December 6, 2024 analysis, printed under the title "Determination of an Adaptive Reuse Credit for Use in the Energize Denver Program," that evaluates how to credit adaptive reuse against the 2030 energy use intensity (EUI) targets of Energize Denver.
New Buildings Institute prepared it for the City and County of Denver. Primary author is Grant Sheely; contributing authors are Ariel Brenner and Tristan Grant. Denver's Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency (CASR), with the Department of Community Planning and Development (CPD), asked for it because they prefer that buildings be renovated and repurposed rather than demolished. The Energize Denver Building Performance Policy requires buildings of 25,000 square feet and larger to meet an energy-efficiency level by building type by 2030.
The report compares two options:
- Option 1, exemption method: exempt adaptive reuse projects from Energize Denver. Step 2 concludes that only buildings near the median, within 5 kBtu/sf of their EUI target, would qualify, so the method is not recommended.
- Option 2, EUI method: adjust the EUI target for reuse projects, through the Percent Performance Credit Method or the kBtu/SF Performance Credit Method.
Tables test projects that preserve at least 35%, 50% or 75% of the existing substructure, superstructure and façade. The city lists the report among the Energize Denver studies and analyses.
Who needs to file Determination of Options for an Adaptive Reuse Credit – Denver, CO?
The report is written for the people who set and apply Energize Denver targets, and for owners and managers of buildings that fall under that policy. It is not a form that anyone is required to complete or sign.
Readers who will find it useful:
- Owners and managers of buildings of 25,000 square feet and larger that are regulated by the Energize Denver Building Performance Policy and are considering renovating and repurposing a building rather than demolishing it.
- Design teams and consultants who want to see how embodied carbon savings from reuse were compared with operational savings, by building type.
- Staff and stakeholders reviewing how the 2030 EUI targets could be adjusted for adaptive reuse.
The report's Tables 9 and 10 are labeled sample tables for policy deployment. They illustrate possible adjusted targets and do not set a target for any particular building. For the rules that apply to a specific building, use the city's Energize Denver materials and contact the city.
When to file Determination of Options for an Adaptive Reuse Credit – Denver, CO
Nothing is filed with this document, so it has no due date. It is an analysis whose reference year is 2030, the year by which the Energize Denver Building Performance Policy requires buildings of 25,000 square feet and larger to meet an energy-efficiency level by building type. Its calculations use Denver's 2019 benchmarking data and a 25-year window of 2021-2045. The city's Energize Denver page records that the fifth version of the Rules and Regulations was adopted in April 2025, so check the current rules before relying on any figure in a December 2024 study.
How to fill out Determination of Options for an Adaptive Reuse Credit – Denver, CO
Open the official PDF
Download the report from the City and County of Denver's denvergov.org link. It has no fields to complete, so you read it and take the figures you need.
Read the purpose and reuse thresholds
Purpose and Background explains the two options. Step 1 defines the tested reuse levels: at least 35%, 50% or 75% of the existing substructure, superstructure and façade.
Find your building category
Look up your building type in Table 7 (Percent Performance Credit) and Table 8 (kBtu/SF Performance Credit), then read the column for the reuse level that matches your project.
Compare the two credit methods
Table 9 sets individualized adjusted 2030 EUI targets side by side for both methods. Table 10 shows flat adjustments. Both are sample tables.
Check all-electric and mixed-fuel results
If your building gets 80% or more of its energy from electricity, Appendix C breaks out all-electric results separately from mixed-fuel results.
Confirm the rules with the city
The report is a December 2024 analysis. Check the current Energize Denver rules on denvergov.org before relying on any target.
How to submit Determination of Options for an Adaptive Reuse Credit – Denver, CO
There is nothing to submit: the report is read, not filed, and it prints no mailing address, portal, appointment rule or fee. The City and County of Denver publishes the PDF on denvergov.org in the Energize Denver analyses, and it is listed under Studies and Analyses on the city's About the Energize Denver Ordinance page.
If you want to act on the findings, such as asking whether a reuse project could receive a target adjustment, the report does not name an office or procedure for that request. Use the Energize Denver pages on denvergov.org or contact the City and County of Denver. FillingPDF lets you view and download the official PDF; it does not file anything with the city.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating the report as an application or permit form; it is an analysis with no fields, signature block or filing address.
- Reading Tables 9 and 10 as adopted targets; the report labels them sample tables for policy deployment.
- Expecting an exemption from Energize Denver for a reuse project; Step 2 finds only buildings within 5 kBtu/sf of their EUI target would qualify and does not recommend the method.
- Assuming the Percent Performance Credit helps low performers; the report says it favors high-performing buildings and gives a smaller adjustment to buildings further from target.
- Using Gym and Restaurant figures as typical; the report marks them with an asterisk as limited datasets.
- Reading AMT in a table as a value; it means Already Met Target, with no further operational savings available for that group.
- Counting a building as all-electric below the report's line; Appendix A treats a building as all-electric if 80% or more of its energy comes from electricity.
- Treating the 2019 benchmarking figures as current performance; Denver's 2019 Benchmarking Data underlies the tables.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Determination of Options for an Adaptive Reuse Credit?
It is a December 6, 2024 analysis by New Buildings Institute for the City and County of Denver. It evaluates how to credit adaptive reuse projects against the 2030 EUI targets of the Energize Denver Building Performance Policy, using an exemption method and an EUI method.
Is this a form I have to fill out or file?
No. The PDF is a report with tables, equations and appendices, and it contains no application fields, signature block, address or deadline. It informs how Energize Denver targets could be adjusted for adaptive reuse.
Is this a Denver building permit application?
No. It analyzes energy use targets under Energize Denver and contains no permit fields or submission instructions. For permit questions, contact the City and County of Denver directly.
What counts as adaptive reuse in the report?
The report tested three levels: a project qualifies as reuse if it preserves at least 35%, at least 50% or at least 75% of the existing substructure, superstructure and façade. Credits are shown for each level.
Does the report recommend exempting reuse projects from Energize Denver?
No. Step 2 finds that only buildings performing near the median, within 5 kBtu/sf of their EUI target, would qualify for an exemption, so the exemption method is not recommended. Step 3 evaluates EUI credits instead.
How large are the EUI credits the report calculates?
Averaged across building types, the Percent Performance method gives 14%, 21% and 31% for 35%, 50% and 75% reuse. The kBtu/SF method gives about 8, 11 and 17 kBtu/sf. Individual building types differ in Tables 7 and 8.
Can I fill out this PDF online?
The PDF is a report, not a form, so there is nothing to complete. FillingPDF lets you view and download the official PDF. FillingPDF is independent, is not affiliated with the City and County of Denver and does not file anything.
Does the report set my building's target?
No. Tables 9 and 10 are labeled sample tables for policy deployment. Your building's target comes from the Energize Denver rules, so confirm it with the city.
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