Seattle Energy Benchmarking: Requirements, Services & Pricing

In 2010 the city of Seattle enacted Seattle Municipal Code 22.920.  It requires all non-residential, multifamily and mixed use buildings greater than 20,000 sq. ft. to report their annual energy use as well as make this information available upon request.  This is called "energy benchmarking."


This work needs to be completed every year by June 1st for the previous calendar year.  Buildings not energy benchmarked by the deadline can have their building owner(s) fined from $2000 (buildings < 50,000 sq. ft.) to $4000 (buildings >=50,000 sq. ft.) for being out of compliance per Ordinances 123226 and 123993.


Energy Benchmarking Services can gather your building's energy-related information, enter it properly into the designated online tool, ensure that you can provide energy use reports upon request, and quickly complete this before the upcoming deadline.  And we can help you maintain compliance on-going so your building is always in line with the city's energy benchmarking ordinances. 


For a free consultation contact Michael Jones, Energy Benchmarking Services, at 206-245-8737 or mj@EnergyBenchmarkingServices.com


Services

Set-up Service: Sets up energy reporting for your building(s) - Allow Energy Benchmarking Services to complete the following steps for you to ensure that your reporting is done correctly and timely:

  • Collect your building's specifications and energy use information
  • Set up your building's profile in the EPA online tool: Portfolio Manager
  • Set up and automate your building's energy use feeds from the local utilities into Portfolio Manager
  • Grant access to the City of Seattle to audit your building's energy use (required by the city)
  • Generate energy use reports upon request

These steps require the collection and management of relevant data, much like doing your taxes.  Energy Benchmarking Services will save you the time and effort of doing this, while ensuring that your building's energy use has been reported accurately and is in compliance with the city's Energy Benchmarking ordinance.


Set-up Service Pricing: The basic building required to be benchmarked is one that is 20,000 sq. ft. and uses only Seattle City Light electricity as an energy source.  It would take a new user approximately 20-30 hours to learn and complete the benchmarking work for this type of building.   


Energy Benchmarking Services' charge for this basic building configuration set up is $1000.


Variations from this configuration in the following areas will add incrementally to the cost of the work (or to the time for a new user to complete the work):

  • Buildings larger than 20,000 sq. ft.
  • Buildings that house multiple uses such as parking, offices, retail shops, cafes, etc.
  • Buildings that use energy sources beyond electricity such as natural gas or steam


Annual Compliance Service: Ensures that your building's energy reporting remains compliant throughout the year - To maintain an energy benchmarking account, ongoing time is needed to keep up with the City's ordinance as it evolves as well as any changes made by the utilities and the online application (from the EPA) that hosts a building's benchmarking account.


Allow Energy Benchmarking Services to maintain your building's online energy benchmarking account, and ensure that it is ready for the city's annual audit each June.  This includes:

  • Confirming all aspects of your building's online account are ready for the City of Seattle's annual audit
  • Taking any needed actions based on changes from the City of Seattle, the EPA or any of the utilities
  • Providing a "Statement of Energy Performance" when requested by a third party
  • Keeping the building owner/manager posted about any information related to their building's energy account


Annual Compliance Service Pricing: Is a percentage of the initial setup price


Please Note: requests for energy benchmarking services within 6 weeks of a reporting deadline cannot be guaranteed to be completed prior to the deadline due to the varying response times of all the involved parties: City of Seattle, Seattle City Light, Puget Sound Energy, and Energy Star’s Portfolio Manager. However a good faith effort will be made to complete the work prior to the deadline.


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