Clean Buildings Incentive Program

We recently attended a very informative presentation by the Bellevue 2030 District about the Washington State Clean Buildings law and the Bellevue Clean Buildings Incentive Program.

The Clean Buildings for Washington law (HB 1257) applies to all ‘Tier 1’ commercial buildings larger than 50,000 SF. In 2022, the State expanded the requirements to cover Tier 2, smaller commercial buildings (20,001 – 50,000 SF) and multifamily buildings greater than 20,000 SF. The goal is to lower costs and pollution from fossil fuel consumption in existing covered buildings, multifamily buildings, and campus district energy systems.

The law includes several requirements to improve energy efficiency for these buildings. All building owners and managers should start planning now to comply. Seattle-specific GHG emissions standards for larger buildings could result in up to a 27% decrease.

• Background: Washington Clean Buildings Standard was signed into law in May of 2019.
• Building owners will need to demonstrate that:
  • An Operation and Maintenance program has been implemented in their building.
  • An Energy Management Plan is complete.
  • Their building’s EUI (Energy Use Intensity) is less than or equal to the building’s EUIt for a minimum of 12 months before the compliance dates listed below. This means that the largest buildings need to be ready by June 2025!
• Tier 1 Compliance Deadlines:
  • June 1, 2026 – More than 220,000 sq. ft.
  • June 1, 2027 – More than 90,000 sq. ft. but less than 220,001 sq. ft
  • June 1, 2028 – More than 50,000 sq. ft. but less than 90,001 sq. ft
• Tier 2 Compliance Deadline:
  • July 1, 2027 – More than 20,000 sq. ft. but less than 50,001 sq. ft. and All Multifamily residential buildings more than 20,000 sq. ft.
• Key Elements of the Law:
  • Non Compliance can lead to penalties that can include $5,000 plus $1.00 per sf plus costly mitigation plans.
  • Incentives for Early Adoption are only available early on and can include allocations/exemptions.
• Clean Buildings Performance Standard Benchmarking:
  • Buildings will require benchmarking and an energy management plan and manager.
  • ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager is a free online tool from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that helps you track and assess energy and water use for your buildings: https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/benchmark
• Common Energy Efficiency Measures (EEMs) include: Building Controls & Analytics, Lighting Systems (Interior and Exterior), Boiler & Chiller Plants, HVAC & Indoor Air Quality, Renewable Energy, Electrical Infrastructure, Roofing / Building Envelope, and Plumbing / Water Conservation.
• Resources: Washington State Department of Commerce Clean Buildings Performance Standards, Smart Buildings Center Smart Buildings Center, Puget Sound Energy Accelerator Program, King County C-Pacer Financing Program, City of Bellevue Clean Buildings Incentive Program, City of Issaquah Clean Buildings Incentive Program.

The webinar can be viewed in its entirety on YouTube by clicking this link.

Contact Ryan Meno, Rafn Estimating Director & Senior Project Manager, (rmeno@rafn.com / 206.510.1022) for help determining next steps for your building to align with the Clean Building Performance Standards.

Recent Rafn Anniversaries

• Shawn 42 yrs
• Curtis 32 yrs
• Gary 16 yrs
• Roy 7 yrs
• Brian 3 yrs
• Cameron 3 yrs
• Austin 3 yrs
• Dani 2 yrs
• Andrew 2 yrs
• Andrew 1 yr
• Jose 1 yr
• Abbi 1 yr