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.
Download the Clean Buildings Performance Standard Integrated Document (Smartsheet Form)
Compliance deadlines
Tier 1 covered buildings reporting schedule:
- 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
Tier 2 covered buildings reporting schedule:
- 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.
Office hours
A dedicated space outside of our scheduled trainings and workshops to connect with our Clean Buildings staff, ask questions, talk through scenarios and more. “Office Hours” are held on the 4th Tuesday of every month from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. PT.
Supporting roles for compliance
Learn more using the Buildings Roles and Responsibilities (PDF) matrix
Tier 2 Qualified Energy Manager training program will be offered in the future. Please subscribe to the bulletin for the announcement.
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
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.
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
Documents that used to be found here are now available in the Clean Buildings Document Library.
- Early Adopter Incentive Program
- Energy Audit Incentive Program for Public Buildings
- C-PACER programs (Shift Zero)
- C-PACER (King County)
- C- PACER (Pierce County)
- C-PACER (Jefferson County)
- C-PACER (Snohomish County)
- C-PACER (Thurston County)
- C-PACER (Clark County)
- C-PACER (Whatcom County)
- C-PACER (Spokane County)
- Commercial buildings energy efficiency tax deduction
- Financing Energy Efficiency Projects (PDF)
- 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)
- Compliance Scenarios (Vimeo)
- Compliance Form & Workbook Overview (Vimeo)
- Benchmarking (Vimeo)
- Energy Management Plan (Vimeo)
- 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
- Better Buildings Webinars
- Webinar 6-7-2023 HVAC Building Operations and IAQ at Pandemic’s End (Vimeo)
- Submetering Municipal & Higher Education Buildings (YouTube)
- Clean Buildings 101 (YouTube)
- Compliance by meeting the EUIt (YouTube)
- Early Adopter Incentive Program Guidebook overview (YouTube)
- How to Determine your Building’s EUIt (YouTube)
- Q&A Session: Compliance Paths 9/13/2022 (YouTube)
- Compliance by Meeting the Energy Use Intensity Target (YouTube)
- Compliance through the Investment Criteria (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.
- Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) Tool Training for Industry Professionals (YouTube)
- Introduction to the Life Cycle Cost Tool (Vimeo)
- Additional Life Cycle Cost Tool Training (Vimeo)
- Q&A Session: Form F: Life Cycle Analysis (YouTube)
2024 Training Series
CBPS: Tier 1
CBPS: Tier 2
Meeting the EUIt
Tier 1 Compliance Path: Investment Criteria
- Compliance through the Investment Criteria slide deck (PDF)
- Compliance through the Investment Criteria recording (YouTube)
Tier 1 Investment Criteria: Form F- Life Cycle Cost Analysis
Training Series- Decarbonization of District Energy Systems
Part 1
Part 2