Washington Clean Buildings Standard
Washington Clean Buildings Bill established the state’s energy performance standard for commercial buildings 50,000 square feet and larger. In order to meet the standard, all building owners must benchmark their buildings using Energy Star Portfolio Manager and meet their Energy Use Intensity (EUI) target.
According to the Washington State Department of Commerce, there are 2 steps every Building Owner can take in preparation:
Preparing to Meet the Standard
Benchmark your buildings: To participate in the early adopter incentive program and demonstrate compliance with the standard, building owners will need to know the buildings energy use intensity. This is a measure of energy use per square foot of floor area. We recommend all building owners benchmark their buildings using Energy Star Portfolio Manager. This will help them assess their eligibility for incentives and obligations to make improvements under this law.
Develop and execute an energy efficiency plan: Incorporating energy efficiency in long term facility operations, maintenance and revitalization plans is the least cost method for assuring compliance. The law was specifically developed with long implementation timelines to allow building owners the opportunity to make improvements using this least cost method. Help is available from your local energy utility. The U.S. EPA Energy Star buildings program provide good introductions to proactive approaches. Commerce in collaboration with the Washington State University Energy Program will also be developing support materials in the coming months.
Learn more about how MacDonald-Miller can help you benchmark your building and develop a plan!
