• Confirm you have data. If you signed up for automated benchmarking, check your Portfolio Manager account to confirm there is data up to December 2011. Under your building profile, click on the virtual meter names to confirm energy use numbers have been uploaded. If you do not see data, email energybenchmarking@seattle.gov for troubleshooting help.
• Reminder: Puget Sound Energy (PSE) requires that you ANNUALLY re-request the data from them. Go to the PSE website and follow Step 6, or contact PSE at automatedbenchmarking@pse.com or (425) 456-2494.
• Did you report? Please make sure you have selected the City of Seattle through the automated benchmarking console in Portfolio Manager. Just follow Step 4 in the How To Guide at www.seattle.gov/dpd/EnergyBenchmarking.

Missed the deadline? You are out of compliance. The How To Guide at ww.seattle.gov/dpd/EnergyBenchmarking, covers the four steps needed to comply. Building owners are encouraged to take advantage of the free resources offered to get ahead of the enforcement process.

Free Workshops & Training

These hands-on computer based workshops will help multifamily and non-residential property owners comply with the ordinance. Although there is a grace period until October 1, 2012 (for buildings subject to the April 1, 2012 deadline) building owners (or their property managers) are encouraged to start the process early. Please pre-register by visiting the links below:

• May 9: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at UW
  http://esbworkshop01.eventbrite.com/
• May 22: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Seattle Municipal Tower (Multifamily Owners Only)http://benchmarkingmultifamily2.eventbrite.com/
• June 13: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at UW
  http://esbworkshop03.eventbrite.com/

Space is limited and workshops sell out, don’t delay. Take advantage of this FREE educational resource.

Need Help?

Technical Assistance

• EnergyBenchmarking@seattle.gov
• Phone: (206) 727-8484

Drop-in Help

Each Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Seattle Municipal Tower
700 5th Ave.
18th floor

Even though there is now a six-month grace period, building owners are encouraged not to wait, as the response to the program has been strong. Free half-day workshops have been filled and attendance at weekly drop-in help has been high. While the utilities’ automated benchmarking services and the City’s other free resources are designed to make complying as easy as possible, energy efficiency service providers are available for those who would rather work with a professional. Visit www.neec.net/seattle-benchmarking-providers for a list of providers.

Benchmarking Education and Support

• Upcoming Workshops: April 12th and 23rd. These hands-on computer-based workshops show owners how to start benchmarking. (More workshops will be scheduled this spring & summer.) Visit the website below for more details and registration.
• Drop-In Help: Wednesdays at the Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Avenue, 18th floor from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in room 1880. 
• Helpline: Email EnergyBenchmarking@seattle.gov or call (206) 727-8484 (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday).
• How To Guide: This free step-by-step guideto complying with the benchmarking requirements is available on the website.

More information is available at www.seattle.gov/dpd/EnergyBenchmarking.

Participants will learn:

• How to benchmark building energy performance using the free on-line tool ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.
• The ordinance reporting requirements and new services available for automated benchmarking from Seattle City Light, Puget Sound Energy and Seattle Steam.
• How to use technical and financial resources available from BetterBricks and local utilities to plan and implement energy conservation projects.

Participants will create an account in Portfolio Manager and begin the initial energy performance rating for their building(s) with individual guidance from an experienced benchmarking instructor and technical assistants. A data collection sheet will be emailed to registrants prior to the workshop for participants that want to bring data from their own buildings to the session. Sample building data will be available for participants who do not bring their own data.

Dates & Registration

Preregistration is required to attend the workshops.

• March 7, 2012: 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
  Register at: http://esbworkshop10.eventbrite.com/
• April 12, 2012: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  Register at: http://esbworkshop11.eventbrite.com/
• April 23, 2012: 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
  Register at: http://esbworkshop12.eventbrite.com/

Location:

Yarrow Bay Office Park
10604 NE 38th Pl, Quad One North
Kirkland, WA 98033

For questions about the workshops, please contact Energy Benchmarking Technical Support at (206) 727-8484 (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Mon – Fri). Visit www.seattle.gov/dpd/energybenchmarking for more information about the ordinance.

Throughout 2012, DPD will host informal discussion sessions to share Seattle’s approach to high performance code development, highlight concepts being considered for the upcoming code cycle, and to hear your questions, ideas, and feedback. Our first session will be held on Thursday, February 9th, where an overview of the broader list of green standards and tools such as the ICC-700 or ASHRAE 189.1 will be provided. We’ll also discuss some of the climate protection priorities set by Mayor and Council which help to provide guidance to DPD’s code development process.

Meeting details:

Thursday, February 9th
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Room 4086, Seattle Municipal Tower
700 5th Avenue, Seattle

For more information, contact:

Kathleen Petrie
(206) 615-0541
kathleen.petrie@seattle.gov

City Green Building’s mission — making green building standard practice — has held fast over ten plus years. The City of Seattle’s legacy as a national leader has fostered local adoption of green building practices, moving beyond the early adopters to the mainstream market. “Seattle’s green building growth has been exponential.  Given the current level of green building expertise and innovation in the private market and in regional organizations we need to continue to evolve our vision and approach,” said Sandra Mallory, Program Manager for City Green Building. “If we are to achieve a climate neutral Seattle, then our green building policies and initiatives need to fit within a broader context.” 

 The evolution of the green building program naturally led to greater coordination with the Office of Sustainability and Environment, the City’s primary office for urban sustainability policy development. “Over the past years, the green team and OSE have worked closely together on numerous initiatives, including co-leading the Green Building Task Force which in turn led to programs like Community Power Works, Energy Benchmarking and Priority Green permitting. Consolidating our efforts will better align work in overlapping areas and allow the City to expand our work on environmental priorities,” said Jill Simmons, Director of OSE.

Within DPD the green team has worked to support both typical and advanced green building projects through education, incentives and program development. “DPD has been a long-standing advocate for green building from within City government. We have invested in our staff – teaching green building strategies so that our reviewers are ready to help applicants when they come in,” said Diane Sugimura, the Director of the Department of Planning and Development. “We remain committed to removing barriers to green building and encouraging innovative sustainability practices.”

In 2012 DPD will remain focused on growing green permitting, on supporting the Living Building Challenge pilot and on evaluating the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) for potential adoption in Seattle. Planning staff will work closely with OSE to implement land use policies that advance green building.  Green building staff in OSE will be working on implementing the Sustainable Building and Sites policy, development of a city Resource Conservation Plan, and providing ongoing management and support of the energy benchmarking program and the 2030 District.

For more information about these efforts, please visit the following websites.  

• Office of Sustainability and Environment:  www.seattle.gov/environment
• Seattle Green Building:  www.seattle.gov/greenbuilding
• Priority Green:  www.seattle.gov/dpd/prioritygreen

For more information:

Rebecca Baker
rebecca.baker@seattle.gov
(206) 615-1171

Originally created to increase developer knowledge and adoption of green building practices, with an emphasis on education, City Green Building’s purpose has evolved over the years to include broader, more interdepartmental strategic policy development for sustainable issues, along with a focus on development services that promote green building through the code and permitting processes. City Green Building is now moving on to our next iteration to better align our work with that of our colleagues working on environmental policy, sustainable communities and development services.

Four members of the team – Sandra, Rebecca, Peter and Jayson – will be merging with the Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) where they will consolidate City Green Building’s efforts on strategic policy development for sustainable building practices with OSE’s broader environmental policy initiatives, thereby strengthening the City’s ability to guide a unified approach to these issues. Three others – Sandy, Jess and Kathleen – will work directly with the Operations Division in DPD. There they will continue work to promote green permitting and green code development. And staff focused on Sustainable Communities and Low Impact Development – Brennon and Dave – will maintain integral roles in the Planning Division to further sustainable communities and infrastructure.

The work of the green building team is an ongoing effort and initiatives will continue in the coming years. At OSE, work over the coming year will include Energy Benchmarking, District Energy, the 2030 District, implementation of the Sustainable Buildings & Sites Policy, and development of a Resource Conservation Management Plan for City facilities. In DPD, Priority Green will continue to grow as we see more projects taking advantage of the program, as will the evaluation of the International Green Construction Code as a potential tool for Seattle. 

Staff will continue to collaborate on all green building efforts but will be better aligned and positioned internally to draw upon appropriate expertise. Regardless of departmental affiliations green building will continue to be an interdepartmental effort and a priority for the City.

Questions?

Sandra Mallory
Green Building Manager
Office of Sustainability & Environment
sandra.mallory@seattle.gov

Green building information and resources will continue to be available at: www.seattle.gov/greenbuilding.

Priority Green permitting information can be found at: www.seattle.gov/dpd/PriorityGreen.

LEED certification tools were not written or intended for adoption by local jurisdictions; therefore the USGBC participated in the early development of the International Green Construction Code (IgCC). The IgCC is a high performance building code currently under development by the International Code Council and slated to be published in March of 2012. The influence of LEED is demonstrated throughout public version 2.0 of the IgCC, as seen in the following examples of building and site requirements:

• Preferred parking for high occupancy, low emission, and fuel-efficient vehicles
• Heat island mitigation
• Fifty percent diversion of non-hazardous materials from landfills
• Required use of used, recycled content, labeled wood, and indigenous materials
• On-site renewable energy
• Water-efficient landscaping
• Reduced water use in buildings
• VOC limits for adhesives and sealants, paints and coatings, flooring, and glued wood products
• Building commissioning

Over the years, LEED has helped to educate and encourage the use of green building practices which has increased owner awareness, proficient industry professionals, and product availability. With proven success, the IgCC will incorporate some of these high performance measures, written in enforceable code language for use by jurisdictions. The IgCC will become the platform for minimum high performance requirements, and benchmarking tools such as LEED will build on that base to encourage even higher performance tactics.

For more information, contact:

Kathleen Petrie
(206) 615-0541
kathleen.petrie@seattle.gov

“The action strategy we put forward today will help Seattle address important gaps in our housing market and disparities among certain segments of the population,” stated Planning Commission Chair Leslie Miller, “Seattle is a stronger, more prosperous city if we have diversity in people who live and work here.”

The Commission’s analysis revealed several compelling findings that point to such gaps and disparities. For example, Seattle households are increasingly burdened by their housing costs. This is the case for households in lower-income, middle-income categories, and households overall.  Not surprisingly the lowest income households are particularly impacted by high housing costs in Seattle and many find that they can only afford to live here if housing is subsidized.  We also see that there is a disparity in homeownership rates particularly for Black and African American households.  Families with children are finding it difficult to rent units that are large enough. 

“The Planning Commission report adds to the evidence that it is more difficult than ever for a range of households to afford to live in this city.” stated Council Housing Chair Nick Licata, “but it particularly underlines that it is the lowest-income households who struggle and sacrifice the most to pay for housing.”

On a more positive note, many people who live in Seattle’s walkable, transit rich neighborhoods are finding that they can significantly reduce their transportation cost which helps offset higher housing costs.

“This report outlines an important connection between housing, transportation, jobs, and retail opportunities, ” stated Mayor Mike McGinn, “These connections and more are what I will keep in mind as I work to protect what makes Seattle special for all those who choose to live and work here. ”

View a PDF of the report.

Once published, provisions of the IgCC will apply to the design, construction, addition, alteration, change of occupancy, movement, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, location, maintenance, removal and demolition of every building or structure or any appurtenances connected or attached to such buildings or structures and to the site on which the building is located. Most projects having to comply with the International Building Code would fall under the scope of the IgCC. Residential buildings are covered by a separate ICC standard.

In order to encourage universal adoption, the ICC has designed this code with maximum flexibility. Interplay between base code requirements, jurisdictional requirements and project electives allows each jurisdiction to customize high performance requirements tailored to their sustainable goals, community needs, and capacity of infrastructure.

How could Seattle utilize a tool such as the IgCC to achieve the City’s sustainable priorities? Adoption of this code in its entirety would not be appropriate for several reasons: Seattle’s existing codes already exceed some of the requirements of the IgCC, the IgCC works in conjunction with the International Energy Conservation Code which Washington State currently does not utilize, and there are known conflicts between some water use requirements and public health. A viable option for Seattle may be to identify and adopt those elements within the IgCC that both reflect environmental priorities and recognize local needs and resources. Due to DPD’s Priority Green incentive program and the third party verification systems, some high performance elements regulated by this code are already being learned and incorporated into local projects. Future green code requirements could work in conjunction with existing incentive programs which continue to encourage ingenuity and sustainable efforts above and beyond code.

DPD will continue to identify how code can best be used to address climate change. When options have been identified, opportunities for public comment will become available.

For further information, contact:

Kathleen Petrie
(206) 615-0541
kathleen.petrie@seattle.gov

The Sustainable Buildings and Sites Policy for municipal facilities in Seattle, Resolution 31326, was signed by Mayor McGinn on October 12, following the unanimous vote of approval from City Council. The legislation increases standards for the design, construction and operation of City buildings and sites in order to support city-wide goals for sustainable development.

The policy builds on Seattle’s existing green building policy initiated in 2000, the nation’s first, by expanding the scope beyond new construction of large projects to include tenant improvements, leases, small projects, and landscaped sites and parks. With the full spectrum of development included in the proposed policy, all aspects of the city’s built environment will be sustainably designed, built, maintained and operated.

The approved legislation reflects the city’s environmental priorities by going beyond LEED Gold certification to include key performance requirements for energy, water, waste and transportation. The City will establish pilot projects to test new approaches and standards, such as the Living Building Challenge and the Sustainable Sites Initiative and will update procedures to facilitate implementation and require annual reporting of performance.