Building Connections Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections

Building Connections

Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections news and events

Seattle Energy Code Bests National Standard

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A strong energy code is one of Seattle’s key tools for achieving significant reductions in energy use in the building sector and reaching the city’s ambitious goal of carbon neutrality. Seattle has consistently had one of the most advanced codes in the country and the new 2012 Seattle Energy Code is no exception. That’s the finding of a recently released study comparing Seattle’s Energy Code (SEC) to a national energy standard.

City Council to Review Proposed Changes to the Living Building and Seattle Deep Green Pilot Program

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Mayor Ed Murray delivered proposed changes for the Living Building and Seattle Deep Green Pilot Program to the City Council for consideration. At this time, the proposed changes eliminate the Deep Green option to focus the pilot program on Living Buildings. Meanwhile, DPD will continue to develop recommendations for updated new Seattle Deep Green option. We are working with a Technical Advisory Group to develop our recommendations.

Construction Material Recycling and Reporting Requirements

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As of January 2014 all construction and demolition projects in Seattle will need to keep the following material out of disposal containers and transfer station disposal areas: metal, cardboard, and new construction gypsum scrap materials. Asphalt paving, bricks, and concrete are already banned from disposal. The expanded disposal ban will not apply to other targeted recyclable materials such as carpet, plastic film wrap, clean wood, and tear-off asphalt shingles until 2015.

Seattle Buildings on Track for Major Energy

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The Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) recently released the 2011/2012 Seattle Building Energy Benchmarking Analysis report and infographic on building energy use. This report and infographic reveals that Seattle building owners are poised to save tens of millions of dollars on energy annually by improving their building’s energy efficiency.

Changes to Priority Green Expedited Thresholds

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DPD’s voluntary green permitting incentive, Priority Green Expedited has grown considerably over the last 3 years. We have seen substantial growth in small residential new construction permits for single family, duplexes, townhouses, and rowhouses. Overall we have seen 258 applications for building permits enroll in the expedited program: 200 small residential, 47 large multifamily and 11 commercial projects. About 20% of all residential permit applications and 2% of all commercial permit applications for new construction (with complex reviews) are participating in the Priority Green Expedited program.

Members Sought for Seattle’s Living Building and Deep Green Pilot Technical Advisory Group

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The City of Seattle is looking for qualified candidates to fill 10 positions in the City’s new Living Building and Deep Green Pilot Technical Advisory Group. These volunteer positions are expected to be filled by September 2013 so work can begin immediately following. The role of the advisory group will be to provide recommendations to the Department of Planning and Development on updating the City’s Living Building and Seattle Deep Green Pilot Program, which aims to promote sustainable building and development.

Members Sought for Seattle’s Living Building and Deep Green Pilot Technical Advisory Group

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The City of Seattle is looking for qualified candidates to fill 10 positions in the City’s new Living Building and Deep Green Pilot Technical Advisory Group. These volunteer positions are expected to be filled by September 2013 so work can begin immediately following. The role of the advisory group will be to provide recommendations to the Department of Planning and Development on updating the City’s Living Building and Seattle Deep Green Pilot Program, which aims to promote sustainable building and development.

Own or Manage a Building in Seattle?

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For buildings larger than 50,000 square feet that complied last year, most of the work is done. It is important to review and update existing benchmarking data before the upcoming April 1 deadline. Doing so is the owner’s responsibility to ensure an accurate and on-time report of 2012 energy performance.

New Incentives for Energy Conservation in Commercial Buildings

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Seattle City Light is seeking three commercial office buildings to participate in a three-year pilot program to test an energy conservation concept known as “Pay-for-Performance.” Under this pilot, City Light will provide financial incentives through ongoing payments for incremental energy savings, rather than on a one-time basis as is done through its traditional energy conservation programs.