Seattle BENCHMARKING & TUNE-UPS NEWS

BENCHMARKING & TUNE-UPS NEWS
Building Stock 1

 Upcoming deadlines, Benchmarking performance profiles published, and more

March 2022 
Online Open House about Building Performance Standards Policy Development – April 5th
The Office of Sustainability and Environment is conducting stakeholder and community engagement on creating draft legislation for new City of Seattle regulations for commercial and multifamily buildings 20,000 square feet and larger that would reduce climate-polluting emissions and transition towards cleaner, healthier places to live and work. Called ‘Building Performance Standards,’ these carbon emissions targets would become gradually stronger over time towards a goal of cleaner, healthier, ‘net-zero’ carbon emissions buildings by 2050, while improving the quality of life for residents and creating local, well-paying jobs. OSE will present about the potential regulations and the links between buildings, climate pollution, equity, and health. The meeting will include listening sessions to hear participant’s ideas and concerns. OSE is planning another online open house for late spring in the evening (date TBD). Presentations and meeting summaries will be posted online after the events.
Date: April 5, 2022, from 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Location: Online via Zoom
More information and pre-register here: seattle.gov/building-performance-standards
Closed captioning will be provided. Live translation is available upon request – email cleanbuildings@seattle.gov to request.
 
Enhanced Energy and Emissions Reports Now Available for 2020 Benchmarking Data
2020 data is now available online at www.seattle.gov/energybenchmarkingmap where users can explore building energy performance data and custom reports for Seattle’s 3,600 largest commercial and multifamily properties.

New or improved building report features include:

Summary Comparison – A summary of how a building’s energy and emissions performance compared to similar buildings for the year.
WA Clean Buildings – For commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet, an estimate of the building’s target EUI for Washington state’s Clean Building Performance Standard using recent benchmarking data.
Climate Pollution from Energy Use – An update of where a building’s emissions come from and how to start moving towards a path to carbon neutral.Enews Scorecard OSE

ENERGY BENCHMARKING
(Non-residential and Multifamily Buildings 20,000 SF+)EBR Buildings 
Benchmarking 2021 Reports are Due July 1st
Energy performance (benchmarks) for the 2021 calendar year must be updated in Portfolio Manager by July 1, 2022 for all multifamily and non-residential buildings 20,000 SF or larger.
To be in compliance, your building’s Portfolio Manager account must be:
Updated with current space use details and accurate energy meter data. If you have a multifamily building, you will need to correct default data values auto assigned by EPA in 2021. 
Updated Portfolio Manager contact information. 
Able to generate a 2021 December ending Energy Use Intensity (EUI) and ENERGY STAR® score (if available), and
Successfully shared with the City of Seattle Annual Reporting Portfolio Manager account.
Once you have completed all the required steps to make annual updates and share your 2021 benchmark report, you can check your building’s compliance status on the Seattle Benchmarking Compliance Portal.* Make sure to check out our COVID FAQ if your building use has been impacted by COVID.

*The compliance portal will be available mid- March. Please look out for an announcement when the portal goes live. 

Share Updated Contact Details with City of Seattle  
Change of building ownership or management? If you have recently acquired management or ownership of a building, or no longer are associated with any of the buildings you reported 2020 energy data for, please contact energybenchmarking@seattle.gov to update building records. 
Organizations who benchmark and report multiple buildings are encouraged to request a list of buildings the Seattle benchmarking program has associated with your organization, to compare and confirm all managed buildings you are responsible for are successfully shared and have the correct contact information. To request a meeting to review your building list, please email energybenchmarking@seattle.gov. 
 
 
HELP DESK EnergyBenchmarking@seattle.gov 206-727-8484
 

Building Tune-Ups
(Non-residential Buildings 50,000 SF+)EBR BTU Section Image  
Tune-Up Deadlines and Updates
Cohort 4 Building Tune-Ups due by April 1, 2022 to Avoid Fines 
Cohort 4 (50,000 – 69,999 SF) Tune-Ups were due October 1, 2021. Building owners of Cohort 4 buildings have until April 1, 2022 to submit a Tune-Up Summary Report with implemented and verified required corrective actions before a violation with a $2,000 fine is assessed.
Visit the program website for information on compliance resources, including FAQs, how to find a Tune-Up Specialist, and steps required to complete a Tune-Up. Email our help desk at buildingtuneups@seattle.gov to check compliance or communicate the status of your building’s tune-up. If completion of your Cohort 4 building tune-up has been impacted by the ongoing pandemic, you may request a 1-year COVID extension before April 1, 2022. Review OSE Director’s Rule 01-2021 Building Tune-Ups COVID-19 Extension for eligibility criteria.
 
Second Compliance Cycle
The second compliance cycle for required Building Tune-Ups is underway, with Tune-Ups for Cohort 1 buildings (200,000+ sq ft) due October 1, 2023. 
If you are planning to request an exemption, alternative compliance, extensions and waivers for Cohort 1 buildings must be submitted six months in advance by April 1, 2023.
Formal notifications with claim codes for the Seattle Services Portal will be mailed to building owners and managers in late spring. If you have already conducted a second cycle tune-up for a cohort 1 building and would like to begin submitting your report in the Seattle Services Portal, or if you would like to submit a request for alternative compliance, please reach out to the tune-up help desk and a code can be provided.
HELP DESK BuildingTuneUps@seattle.gov  206-727-8863
 

Other Building News
King County C-Pacer Financing Available– The Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy + Resiliency (C-PACER) is an innovative financing mechanism to help commercial, industrial, agricultural, and multifamily buildings become more efficient and resilient.  Learn more at: kingcounty.gov/PACE
BOC Technical Webinar, Benchmarking Simplified: Using Tools & Techniques to Meet Energy Performance Standards – This Building Operator Certification webinar covers benefits of integrating submetering technologies, benchmarking tools, and other practices to comply with energy performance and benchmarking policies. More info and registration here. 
BOC Level I Courses Start April 19 – The Building Operator Certification program Level I courses start this spring. The Level I course series provides building operators with knowledge and skill enhancement in the key activities associated with energy efficient building operations. Course descriptions and registration here.