Support and Resources
Commerce serves as the administrator of the Clean Buildings Performance Standard. We are also here for technical assistance. The building owner is responsible for meeting the requirements of the standard. Yet, the owner may designate other parties to fulfill the owner’s responsibility and comply with the standard. Understanding these different roles can help you determine what support you may need to comply.
Supporting roles for compliance
Commerce serves as the administrator of the Clean Buildings Performance Standard. We are also here for technical assistance. The building owner is responsible for meeting the requirements of the standard. Yet, the owner may designate other parties to fulfill the owner’s responsibility and comply with the standard. Understanding these different roles can help you determine what support you may need to comply.
- Learn more using the Buildings Roles and Responsibilities (PDF) matrix
- Clean Buildings (tier 2) Qualified Energy Manager training program will be offered in the future. Please subscribe to the bulletin for the announcement.
Qualified persons and energy auditors
Commerce is calling on all qualified persons and qualified energy auditors to participate in our voluntary directories. The purpose of each directory is to connect building owners looking to comply with the Standard with individuals who meet the specific credentials required.
Commerce is not responsible for vetting -it is the building owner’s responsibility to confirm that the qualified person meets all project-specific qualifications.
- Register be included in one or both directories
- Search the directories for qualified persons and energy auditors
- Other suggested resources for qualified individuals
Utility role
There are two specific requirements assigned to the state’s gas and electric utilities.
- RCW 19.27a.170, Benchmarking: This section requires utilities to provide energy consumption data to building owners upon request. Large utilities (greater than 25,000 customers) are required to provide this data using Energy Star Portfolio Managers automated upload protocol. Smaller utilities are to provide the data to building owners in an excel document, meeting Energy Star Portfolio Manager specifications.
- RCW 19.27A.220 State energy performance standard -Early adoption incentive program: Commerce is to develop an early adopter incentive program to support building owners making efficiency improvements. This program is administered by Commerce. Large utilities are required to participate by making incentive payments to building owners. The incentive payments, plus administrative fees, are then deducted from the utilities public utility tax. Smaller utilities’ participation in the incentive program is optional.
Compliance support
Various organizations, including local government, and companies throughout Washington state have literature, incentives and programs designed to support building owners to comply with or exceed the Standard.
Included here are links to programs and their offerings.
- Avista Clean Buildings support
- City of Bellevue Clean Buildings Incentive Program
- Pacific Power Benchmarking program
- Pacific Power Clean Buildings support
- Puget Sound Energy Accelerator program
- Seattle Clean Buildings Accelerator
- Smart Buildings Center Help Desk
- SnoPUD Clean Buildings resources
- Tacoma Power Clean Buildings support
- PSE Commercial Strategic Energy Management Program
- Issaquah’s Clean Buildings Incentive Program (CBP)
If there are any training or certification programs that need to be added to this resources section, please contact us at Buildings@Commerce.wa.gov.
Resources for building compliance
Benchmarking
Commerce "How To" documents
Documents that used to be found here are now available in the Clean Buildings Document Library.
Funding opportunities
- Early Adopter Incentive Program
- C-PACER programs (Shift Zero)
- C-PACER (King County)
- C- PACER (Pierce County)
- Commercial buildings energy efficiency tax deduction
- Financing Energy Efficiency Projects
- Toolkit: Find Financing for Your Energy Project
- Green Revolving Funds
- LOCAL Programs
- Utility Energy Efficiency and Incentive Program Links (PDF)
- Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency
- Clean Buildings Funding Summary 2023 (PDF)
Past workshop videos
The training workshops linked below were sponsored by Avista, Clark PUD, Puget Sound Energy, Snohomish County PUD and Tacoma Power.
Training videos
- Better Buildings Webinars
- Clean Buildings 101
- Compliance by meeting the EUIt
- Early Adopter Incentive Program Guidebook overview
- How to Determine your Building’s EUIt
- Q&A Session: Compliance Paths 9/13/2022
- Smart Building Center Remote Learning Library
- WSU RCM Webinar: Clean Buildings Performance Standard
- WSU RCM Webinar: Energy Management Plans for Clean Buildings
- WSU RCM Webinar: Operations and Maintenance for Clean Buildings
- WSU RCM Webinar: Tune-ups for Clean Buildings
- Compliance by Meeting the Energy Use Intensity Target
- Compliance through the Investment Criteria
- Webinar 6-7-2023 HVAC Building Operations and IAQ at Pandemic’s End (on Vimeo)
- Submetering Municipal & Higher Education Buildings (on YouTube)
Form F: Life Cycle Analysis (LCCA) Tool
The Investment Criteria Tool (Form F) is the LCCA tool specific to the Clean Buildings Performance Standard, although similar, the LCCA tool published by OFM/DES is not interchangeable.
Other resources
- Building Owner Resources (PDF)
- Case Studies (PDF)
- Commerce Business Grants and Loans
- Directory of Minority & Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE)
- Live Q&A Archive (PDF)
- RCM News: articles, training, and events for Resource Conservation and Energy Managers
- Washington State Energy Office
- ASHRAE 100 Users’ Guide
Please note: This User’s Guide may not fully capture nor reflect the WA state amendments to Standard 100, as required by law. Please download and review the Clean Building Performance Standard (CBPS) integrated document (on Smartsheet) for further details.
- June 1, 2026 - More than 220,000 sq. ft.
- June 1, 2027 - More than 90,000 sq. ft. but less than 220,001 sq. ft
- June 1, 2028 - More than 50,000 sq. ft. but less than 90,001 sq. ft
- July 1, 2027 - More than 20,000 sq. ft. but less than 50,001 sq. ft. and All Multifamily residential buildings more than 20,000 sq. ft.
CBPS links
- CBPS home
- How to comply:
- CBPS Document Library
- Customer Support and Resources
- Clean Buildings Portal
- Early Adopter Incentive Program
Resources
Need Help?
Call us: 360-725-3105
Or submit any questions you may have using the Customer Support Form.