 June 2023
Benchmarking Three Month Grace Period Enacted: Report by October 1st
The Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) Director has enacted a three-month enforcement grace period to allow more time for building owners to complete their annual benchmarking reports and adapt to Puget Sound Energy’s new EnergyCAP® system. Building owners now have until October 1, 2023, to report 2022 building performance data before warning letters will be issued. Do not delay - owners are strongly encouraged to continue working with their utility providers to resolve technical issues impacting automated data uploads to Portfolio Manager. Obtaining natural gas consumption data may require additional time and engagement with PSE to resolve migration issues. Not sure if your 2022 benchmark report is complete? Check your benchmarking compliance status and see Compliance Resources article below for supplemental benchmarking guidance and tips.
(Non-residential and Multifamily Buildings 20,000 SF+)
Compliance Resources
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How to Account for Vacancy: Buildings with vacant (unleased and unoccupied space) must still complete the annual benchmarking requirement. If an existing tenant permanently vacated their lease or closed their business and the space is vacant, you may need to update your building space use details to account for vacancy. Depending on the percentage of vacancy, the following use types must make building detail updates in Portfolio Manager: Office, Medical Office, Banks, Courthouses, and Financial Centers. Vacant space building use details must have “0” entered for operating hours, workers, PCs, and any additional required use details. Review EPA guidelines on when vacant space must be recorded.
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Data Accuracy and Energy Metrics: Reports with unusually low or high EUIs (i.e., outliers), ENERGY STAR scores often indicate a reporting error. Common errors that impact your EUI include selecting an incorrect property use or type, inputting inaccurate square footage, omitting energy meters, or entering incorrect units (property use details). Is your EUI significantly above or below the property type median? See Energy Performance Ranges for Seattle Buildings to reference typical performance ranges. Building owners who are not flagged for data verification should still review their EUI annually to assess for data errors and track performance.
Have your building operations changed since COVID? Property uses (including changes in tenant spaces) and use details, such as operating hours and number of workers on main shift must be updated to reflect accurate building operations and associated energy metrics. See updated EPA guidance on how to account for number of computers post-COVID.
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Troubleshooting MyData to EnergyCAP Migration Issues: If you were enrolled in automated data uploads with Puget Sound Energy (PSE) through MyData, completed the share forward process, and still have incomplete data for 2022 in Portfolio Manager, you must complete the following four steps to resolve data migration issues.
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Confirm that your ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager account is connected to the EnergyCAP Portfolio Manager account (GSS_EnergyCAP).
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Confirm that your Portfolio Manager properties are fully shared (Exchange Data Full Access) with EnergyCAP.
- Finish configuring all PSE meters in EnergyCAP, matching these meters with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager meter names.
- Troubleshoot the connection to determine if data is flowing for some sites or all sites.
Note: please be sure you are registered and have an account set up with EnergyCAP before following the above steps. To register, fill out the registration form here.
New to Portfolio Manager
New Data Quality Standard Report - Portfolio Manager account holders who benchmark multiple buildings under one user account no longer have to run the Data Quality Checker on one property at a time. A new report template in Portfolio Manager scans for Data Quality issues across your entire portfolio.
Find it in Portfolio Manager: Click on the “Reporting” tab, then navigate to the “ENERGY STAR Reports” tab and look for the “Data Quality” report in the table. See this FAQ for more guidance.
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HELP DESK EnergyBenchmarking@seattle.gov 206-727-8484
(Non-residential Buildings 50,000 SF+)
Tune-Ups Program Achieves High Compliance for First Cycle
The Seattle Building Tune-Ups program first cycle compliance rate for all cohorts has reached 94%! Congratulations to all Tune-Up Specialists and building owners that contributed to this success. More than 940 commercial properties were subject to the tune-up ordinance and the vast majority completed tune-ups to comply with the new regulation. There were 20% of building owners that achieved alternative compliance or received a waiver. Only 3% of buildings have failed to comply with the ordinance while another 16 buildings have active extensions in place.
Second Cycle Tune-Up for Cohort I due October 1
Building owners of Cohort 1 buildings (200,000 SF +) must complete their second cycle tune-up by October 1, 2023.* 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 for questions or to communicate the status of your building’s tune-up. To ensure prompt tune-up review, we recommend starting benchmarking validation early in the process.
*Does your building also have to comply with the Washington State Clean Buildings requirement? Get started on a path to carbon neutrality by reviewing your customized building report, including EUI and carbon emission metrics, to align your tune-up with the Washington State Clean Buildings requirement. See our FAQ for further guidance on how to align a Seattle Building Tune-Up with the new state requirement.
Alternative Compliance for Cohort II Buildings
The alternative compliance deadline for Cohort II buildings (100,000 SF – 199,999 SF) is April 1, 2024. Building owners are encouraged to plan ahead if seeking alternative compliance. When applying for the Certified ENERGY STAR Score alternative compliance pathway, all Portfolio Manager accounts must update property use details (such as workers on main shift and number of computers), adjust for vacant space where applicable, update the building’s overall occupancy percentage and verify the building is reporting whole building energy consumption prior to submitting to the EPA for certification review. ENERGY STAR Score Alternative Compliance applications without updated property uses and details are deemed inaccurate, and risk being flagged and not accepted for tune-up alternative compliance.
See EPA guidance on calculating annual workers on shift and Seattle Energy Benchmarking Annual Update Checklist for guidance on updating Portfolio Manager accounts.
HELP DESK BuildingTuneUps@seattle.gov 206-727-8863
OTHER BUILDING NEWS & RESOURCES
Seattle Building Emission Performance Standard Update - OSE has developed guides to help building owners, managers and others learn about the proposed BEPS regulations, timeline, support programs and benefits.
For more information on the proposed BEPS policy visit: www.seattle.gov/building-performance-standards or email cleanbuildings@seattle.gov.
Register for BOC Level I Fall Courses - Building Operator Certification (BOC) is resuming in-person courses starting Fall 2023. BOC Level I is intended for those with two or more years of experience in building operations and maintenance, who wish to broaden their knowledge of the total building system. Learn more about the BOC I fall 2023 session and register.
New Grant Opportunity for 501(c)(3) Nonprofits - Under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Renew America’s Nonprofits program, nonprofit organizations can apply for grant funding for energy efficiency projects. Click here for more information on the DOE nonprofit funding opportunity and application process.
Washington State Clean Buildings: Tier 2 Rulemaking - The WA State Department of Commerce is asking building owners to participate in the rulemaking process for the state’s expanded Clean Buildings Performance Standard. The expansion applies to buildings between 20,000 and 50,000 square feet, adding a new second tier that includes multifamily buildings. The Department of Commerce is hosting a series of workshops to establish rules, reporting requirements and the financial incentive program for Tier 2 buildings. Workshops are scheduled to take place from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. each day.
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