BENCHMARKING & TUNE-UPS NEWS
 March 2024
(Non-residential and Multifamily Buildings > 20,000 SF)
New Annual Deadline: Energy Benchmarking Reports due June 1st
Benchmarking data for all buildings must be submitted by June 1st, 2024 for the 2023 reporting year. Per updates to the benchmarking policy made in December 2023, the penalty structure for non-compliance has changed. Rather than issuing quarterly accruing fines, the city will now impose a single comprehensive fine 90 days after the reporting deadline. Failure to submit an accurate annual benchmarking report will result in a $2,000 fine for properties between 20,000 and 50,000 square feet and a $4,000 fine for buildings larger than 50,000 square feet.
The Reporting Year 2023 Compliance Portal is now live!
Please check your property’s compliance status in the portal by searching the OSE Building ID, property name, or ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® username. Many properties are currently missing natural gas data and have fallen out of compliance with Seattle’s annual reporting requirement. To ensure that your property complies with the benchmarking law:
Once you have completed all required annual updates, you can re-check your property’s status on the Compliance Portal, which will be updated every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Please visit the Benchmarking Instructions page for more detailed guidance.
Register now for PSE EnergyCAP Trainings
Buildings with Puget Sound Energy (PSE) natural gas service must enroll in the new EnergyCAP automated data exchange system which has replaced the MyData tool. Users must confirm that energy data is accurate and successfully uploaded into their property’s ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager account. PSE offers weekly drop-in support for building owners and managers new to the EnergyCAP data exchange process. To make the best use of these support sessions, customers should complete registration for an EnergyCAP account, if they have not already done so. If you have incomplete natural gas consumption data in EnergyCAP or Portfolio Manager, please attend a weekly drop-in session or contact PSE customer support staff via energycap@pse.com.
PSE EnergyCAP Weekly Support Session
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New Benchmarking Technical Assistance Options
The City of Seattle in partnership with Building Potential (formerly the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council) provides ongoing support through the benchmarking help desk. If you are unsure why your property is showing up as non-compliant, please schedule an appointment with the Help Desk. If you are new to the benchmarking process, please instead attend a weekly drop-in training session. Alternatively, you can email the help desk at energybenchmarking@seattle.gov or leave a voicemail at 206-727-8484 and we will respond to your inquiry within 2-3 days. When calling, please leave your name, phone number, the name of the property you are calling about, the OSE Building ID (if known) and the best time to reach you. Staff can review your account to help you identify missing data, report errors, and if PSE support is needed.
ENERGY STAR Basics of Benchmarking Webinars
The EPA ENERGY STAR program is hosting a three-part webinar series on the basics of Portfolio Manager and how it can support your benchmarking ordinance compliance. This series will teach you the ins and outs of the Portfolio Manager tool and introduce you to the benefits of energy efficiency and energy management. Click the links below for more information and to register.
Part 1: A Beginner’s Guide to Using Portfolio Manager for Benchmarking Law Compliance
Part 2: Using Benchmarking Results to Understand Your Building’s Performance
Part 3: To Efficiency & Beyond! How to Benefit from Benchmarking Compliance with Strategies for Improving Energy
The New and Improved Energy Benchmarking Map
Visit seattle.gov/energybenchmarkingmap to view the energy and emission performance of benchmarked Seattle buildings through reporting year 2022. The Energy Benchmarking Map now features an interactive tutorial that guides users on how to best use the app’s features. Additionally, users can submit feedback via an online form to report data quality issues.
(Non-residential Buildings 50,000 SF+)
Tune-Up Enforcement Grace Period Ends April 1st
Owners of Cohort 1 buildings (200,000 square feet and larger) who have not submitted their completed second cycle tune-up by April 1, 2024 will be issued a Notice of Violation with a $5,000 penalty for non-compliance. If your building’s tune-up will not be completed by the deadline, we request that you send a status update to the help desk at buildingtuneups@seattle.gov. We encourage owners to submit partial tune-ups, particularly if they are waiting for other vendors to complete work. While we mandate that all required corrective actions are completed before a tune-up is approved, a partial tune-up will help us determine which buildings are close to achieving compliance.
Cohort 2 Alternative Compliance Deadline April 1st
The extension, waiver, and alternative compliance deadline for owners of buildings (100,000-199,999 square feet) is April 1, 2024. Alternative compliance options are available to those who recently completed a tune-up equivalent project, have extremely low energy use, or completed an exemplary energy performance certification. View the tune-up alternative compliance handout for details and parameters for each pathway. The extensions and waivers handout provides a full list of circumstances allowing building owners more time to comply; under certain conditions, owners may be permitted to waive their tune-up obligation entirely. Building owners must submit their request for alternative compliance in the Seattle Services Portal.
(Non-residential and Multifamily Buildings > 20,000 SF)
OSE is Hiring!
The Office of Sustainability and Environment is recruiting now for a Building Emissions Performance Standard Technical Advisor to advise on technical aspects of implementation during rulemaking and implementation, including developing GHG reports and decarbonization compliance plan specifications for the new BEPS requirements. Looking ahead to late April, we’ll post an Education and Outreach Specialist position to help the City equitably reach all audiences to help them understand and benefit from this innovative policy. Visit the City of Seattle jobs site and search the keyword “BEPS” to learn more or email cleanbuildings@seattle.gov to get a links to the positions.
Building Emissions Performance Standard (BEPS) Webinar
Watch the “Seattle’s Brand New Building Emissions Performance Standard: What You Need to Know Now” webinar on demand. The February 1st presentation discussed BEPS compliance timelines, GHG intensity targets, and the program rule-making process. A complete recording of the webinar has been uploaded to the Lighting Design Lab’s YouTube page.
Join the Next Clean Buildings Accelerator Coaching Cohort
OSE offers a no-cost Clean Buildings Accelerator program to help owners and operators of buildings in Seattle meet the WA State Clean Buildings Performance Standard. The program includes small-group training sessions combined with one-on-one coaching, and an educational website. In addition to offering energy management and efficiency support, the Accelerator program provides strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which will help building owners and operators get a jumpstart on meeting Seattle’s Building Emissions Performance Standard (BEPS) law. The next Accelerator cohort begins on April 10th.
OSE encourages owners and operators of buildings that serve or are in frontline and BIPOC communities and nonprofits to join. More than 30 building owners and operators have already participated and are on the path to comply—you can be next! The next live info session will be held on May 9th, but you can also watch a recorded info session on demand.
Visit the Accelerator homepage, review this factsheet, or email CleanBuildings@Seattle.gov to learn more.
Upcoming Lighting Design Lab Trainings
The Lighting Design Lab is hosting a series of webinars on sustainable building technologies and operations.
Energy Benchmarking: EnergyBenchmarking@seattle.gov | 206-727-8484
Building Tune-Ups: BuildingTuneUps@seattle.gov | 206-727-8863
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