- I received a letter from the Washington State Department of Commerce with a Building ID. What does it mean?
- The Department of Commerce's records show your building is subject to the Clean Buildings Performance Standard. A complete compliance package is due by July 1, 2027, and the building is currently eligible for the State incentive. Keep the letter; the Building ID is required to file. Send us the address and we will confirm where the building stands.
- I did not receive a letter. Does that mean my building is exempt?
- No. The Department of Commerce has stated that it could not identify every covered building and that owners who were not notified remain responsible. If the building is over 20,000 square feet, assume it is covered until it has been checked.
- How much is the incentive?
- The base is 30 cents per square foot of eligible floor area, paid through your utility on a filing the Department of Commerce accepts. Multifamily owners who sign the Department of Commerce's Anti-Displacement Agreement may have their full compliance cost covered, up to 75 cents per square foot. The fund is $150 million statewide and is drawn down first-come, first-served.
- What happens if I do nothing?
- Before July 1, 2027, filing earns the incentive. After that date, an unfiled building is subject to administrative penalties the Department of Commerce is authorized to assess under RCW 19.27A.250. The Department of Commerce tells owners to submit both the compliance and incentive applications by July 1, 2027, and the $150 million fund is first-come, first-served, so waiting risks both the penalty and an empty fund. Exemptions are limited to specific circumstances, must be supported by at least two documents, and must be filed with the Department of Commerce by January 1, 2027. Extensions can be requested only between January 1, 2027 and January 1, 2028, on listed grounds such as circumstances beyond the owner’s control, a change of ownership, financial restrictions or new construction, and last no more than two years.
- Could my building be exempt?
- Possibly. The standard exempts some buildings, for example those used mainly for manufacturing, buildings with less than 20,000 square feet of conditioned space, buildings scheduled for demolition, and owners in specific kinds of financial distress. Exemptions are decided building by building by the Department of Commerce, require at least two supporting documents, and the application window closes January 1, 2027, six months before the compliance deadline. We determine exemption eligibility as part of every free assessment, and prepare and file exemption applications for a flat fee.
- Who prepares and files the compliance package?
- The energy use intensity target and the compliance forms must be prepared by a Qualified Energy Manager designated for the building under WAC 194-50-030, and the Department of Commerce's guidance has that manager complete the application in the State portal. One of our Qualified Energy Managers is designated for every client building, and our fee is paid from the incentive the filing earns.
- What is a Qualified Energy Manager?
- A designation defined in WAC 194-50-030 for the individual an owner names to prepare the building's compliance. Every manager on our team holds it, and one of them is designated as the lead for your building for the duration of the engagement.
- My building already benchmarks under the City of Seattle. Am I done?
- No. The City's benchmarking ordinance and the State's Clean Buildings standard are separate requirements with separate filings. Your existing record helps with one of the three State requirements; the plan, the program and the State filing remain.
- What does the Anti-Displacement Agreement commit a multifamily owner to?
- Obligations that run through the 2032 cycle, including provisions on rent justification, a rent schedule filed with the Department of Commerce, requirements that follow a sale of the building, a lease clause, and a repayment provision. It makes sense for some owners and not for others. We review it with every multifamily client before recommending a track.
- How long does it take, and what do you charge?
- Four to eight weeks from designation to filing for a typical building, most of it waiting on utility data; the Department of Commerce's review time depends on the queue. No upfront cost. We’re paid only when the State pays you. Our fee is a fixed percentage of the base incentive, quoted in writing after a free assessment, with volume pricing for portfolios.
- What happens after the 2027 filing?
- The obligation recurs every five years, and the benchmarking, Energy Management Plan and Operations and Maintenance Program are expected to be maintained between reports. We offer an ongoing compliance service on a flat annual retainer that keeps the building continuously in order and prepares the 2032 report when it comes due.
- Do you work outside the Puget Sound area?
- Our team is centered on King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. We take buildings elsewhere in Washington by arrangement.