Seattle building owners:

What is the Energy Benchmarking and Reporting Program?

Seattle’s Building Energy Benchmarking and Reporting Program (Ordinance No. 123226 and 123993) is an ordinance that requires owners of nonresidential and multifamily buildings to measure and report energy consumption annually. The benchmarking information will then be published online so that owners and potential buyers can compare their building’s energy usage to others of similar size.

Purpose

The purpose of this ordinance is to improve the energy performance of existing buildings by 20% by 2020. Benchmarking energy will have a long-term impact on building efficiency in Seattle and will lead to lower business operating costs and more affordable housing. By becoming more efficient and conserving energy, the City will be able to avoid the need for additional power plants and electricity capacity.

Does it impact me?

This ordinance impacts owners or managers of all nonresidential and multifamily buildings larger than 20,000 square feet.

What are the deadlines?

The annual deadline for compliance for all multifamily and nonresidential building owners is April 1 of each year.

What are the fines?

Fines will accrue quarterly, beginning 90 days after the reporting deadline:

• Buildings 50,000 square feet or larger: $1,000/quarter
• Buildings 20,000 to 49,999 square feet: $500/quarter

How do I comply?

Building owners are required to submit their previous year’s energy usage reports through EPA’s Portfolio Manager, a reporting tool that allows building owners to compare their building’s energy efficiency with similar buildings. This energy usage data is then submitted directly to the City of Seattle.