Winter is winding down, but the Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment’s (OSE’s) Buildings and Energy team remains hard at work supporting owners to benchmark and reduce emissions from buildings. Right now, we’re drafting a Director’s Rule for the Building Emissions Performance Standard (BEPS), developing a new software solution for Energy Benchmarking and BEPS reporting, and helping the last two Tune-Ups cohorts get across the finish line. 

BEPS, Benchmarking, and Tune-Ups call on building owners to contribute time and resources to create a greener city and we’re here to support you. With that in mind, we hope the resources below are helpful as you continue your building’s journey to compliance.

Benchmarking Notification Letters 

Next week, OSE will send Benchmarking Notification letters to all buildings required to benchmark. Building owners will need to make sure their information is submitted by the 6/1/2025 deadline mentioned in the above section. If you are new to Benchmarking, check out the How To Guide to get started. All others follow annual account update steps. 

Building Tune-Ups Notification Letters 

OSE sent notification letters to owners of Cohort 4 buildings (nonresidential buildings 50,000–69,999 square feet) for Tune-Ups due 10/1/2026. 

2025 Light Coaching Cohorts Launching Soon 

Need help getting ready for BEPS? Our popular small-group virtual coaching cohorts (offered over four months) are starting soon. All Seattle building owners are welcome, and we especially encourage BIPOC, nonprofits, and owners of buildings that serve or are in frontline communities to join this free training. Spaces are limited, and those owners will be prioritized. 

The program will increasingly focus on BEPS support, and we've added several new elements in response to audience feedback:  

• Multifamily-only (including condos/co-ops), small-group virtual coaching cohorts  

• Shorter-duration, in-person cohort options  

• Virtual drop-in hours on specific topics to address compliance questions and help building owners get “unstuck”  

• Enhanced online content   

If you own or manage a building in Seattle, watch a recorded info session to learn more about the program and what it offers! Watching or attending an information session is required before joining a coaching cohort. 

The Nonresidential Cohort starts on March 11, and the Multifamily Cohort starts on April 29. The new In-Person Fast-Track Cohort will occur in early May. Reach out to cleanbuildings@seattle.gov once you’ve watched or attended an info session to apply. 

BEPS Rulemaking and Implementation Continues 

Work to develop the required BEPS Director’s Rule and to implement BEPS continues — including the light coaching cohorts and multifamily webinar covered in this e-news.

Additionally, OSE is currently reviewing feedback from the Technical Rulemaking Workgroup and writing draft content. Meeting summaries and slides are on the BEPS Rulemaking webpage and you may submit thoughts using the linked form. This quarter we’re also touching base with stakeholders representing low-income multifamily, district energy campuses, and others about provisions specific to them in BEPS. We are also planning for public webinars in April and May to review key elements of the draft rule. Dates will be announced here in late March.  

For more details visit the BEPS website or email cleanbuildings@seattle.gov. 

New Case Studies on the Resources Page 

OSE just published three new case studies on our ongoing work to reduce emissions in city-owned facilities. Learn more, and get inspiration for your building, by checking them out: 

• Seattle Community Centers Case Study 

• Seattle Public Library, Green Lake Branch Case Study 

• Fire Station #30 Case Study 

Benchmarking Compliance Portal Goes Live in March 

In early March, the Reporting Year 2024 Benchmarking Compliance Portal will go live. Owners and service providers will then be able to check the compliance status for their required buildings ahead of the June 1 benchmarking deadline. After launch, the Compliance Portal statuses will be updated throughout each week until the end of the reporting cycle. For updates, please keep an eye on the Energy Benchmarking homepage, where the Compliance Portal link will be posted. 

Portfolio Manager Weather Normalization Update 

ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager uses recorded temperature data near your building during each reporting year to approximate what energy use for that property would have been during a typical year based on average weather conditions. On January 22, Portfolio Manager changed its methodology for calculating weather-normalized metrics. Key changes include: 

• Tripling the number of weather stations in the platform. Your building may now calculate weather-normalized metrics based on a closer weather station that more accurately captures your location’s weather conditions. 

• Using a 15-year weather average to establish “normal” conditions, rather than a 30-year weather average as had previously been the case. Normal weather conditions are the basis for calculating weather-normalized metrics like Energy Use Intensity and ENERGY STAR score. 

With the new weather normalization methodology, you may notice your weather-normalized metrics in Portfolio Manager change slightly. For more information, please visit ENERGY STAR’s post about the update. 

Clean Buildings Accelerator Info Sessions 

If you own or manage a building over 20,000 square feet in Seattle, attend an info session to learn more about the Seattle program offerings for BEPS and WA CBPS compliance support. Offerings include:  

• Self-led learning with online resources to explore at your own pace    

• Cohort training with virtual workshops, virtual energy walk-throughs, expert review of documents, project identification and prioritization, and tailored support   

The next info sessions are Thursday 2/27 at 12PM, Tuesday 3/4 at 1PM, and Tuesday 3/18 at 1PM. Can't make it on any of those dates? Watch a recorded version here. Attending (or watching) an information session is required before joining a coaching cohort.  

BEPS Multifamily Webinar (recorded) 

Learn more about requirements for multifamily buildings (including condos/co-ops) to comply with BEPS and the Washington Clean Buildings Performance Standard. The recorded webinar was followed by a Q&A for participants. Watch the multifamily webinar.

WA & Seattle Energy Code Webinars 

Visit City Light’s Lighting Design Lab website to sign up for free presentations in March on the Washington State and Seattle commercial energy codes, both now in effect. Upcoming presentations will cover HVAC issues. Hint: check the Course Recordings for ones you may have missed.