Seattle Simplifies Compliance, Extends Deadline for Mid-Size Buildings to Report Energy Use
October 1 Deadline for Large Apartments and Condo Buildings Unchanged
SEATTLE, WA – September 18, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — The Seattle City Council passed legislation yesterday to revise the reporting requirements for buildings covered under the City’s pioneering Energy Benchmarking and Reporting Ordinance in order to strengthen the program and make it easier for owners of non-residential and multifamily residential properties to comply. Benchmarking energy use helps building owners determine the total amount of energy that their buildings use, which can help them track and control costs and prioritize energy and money-saving upgrades.
As a result of the changes, owners of mid-sized non-residential buildings and multifamily buildings (20,000-49,999 sq. ft.) will have an additional six months, until April 1, 2013, to evaluate their buildings’ energy use and report results to the City of Seattle.
The legislation also modifies the rules for owners of buildings smaller than 20,000 sq. ft., which will change their participation in the City’s benchmarking program from mandatory to voluntary.
Meanwhile, owners and managers of large apartment and condo complexes (50,000 sq. ft. or greater) are gearing up to meet the October 1, 2012 deadline to report their buildings’ energy use.
To date, about 45% of large non-residential buildings have reported, representing nearly 82 million square feet of building stock. Non-residential buildings 50,000 sq. ft. or greater that missed the April 1, 2012 deadline were recently sent overdue notices. The revisions to Seattle’s benchmarking law will streamline fines for property owners who fail to report building energy use on time.
“Seattle was one of the first cities in the country to develop a benchmarking program to increase the efficiency of our existing building stock,” said Jill Simmons, Director of the Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment. “This legislation will make the benchmarking program more effective, and allow for additional outreach to building owners,” Simmons said.
This is the first year the benchmarking law has applied to multifamily residential buildings. The City requires apartment and condo buildings 50,000 sq. ft. or larger to report their 2011 energy use to the City by October 1st, 2012 and annually thereafter. Reports are for whole buildings, not individual apartments or condo units. Multifamily buildings represent about 87.4 million sq. ft. of Seattle’s building stock.
“Forty-two percent of large buildings in Seattle are apartments or condos, and there is a tremendous opportunity in these buildings to save money and energy,” said Rebecca Baker, Energy Benchmarking Program Manager for the Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment. “Benchmarking is an essential first step to help owners and managers understand how energy is being wasted, so they can take measures to reduce their energy expenses,” Baker said.
The City has developed free services to help building owners learn about the requirements and help them comply, including a drop-in help center, benchmarking workshops, and a how-to guide. Upcoming free workshops are scheduled for September 20 and 25.
To learn more, call the benchmarking helpline at (206) 727‑8484 or visit www.seattle.gov/EnergyBenchmarking.
Contact:
Nicole Ballinger, 206-233-7184
