Commerce partnered with the Smart Buildings Center Education Program, Strategic Energy Innovations (SEI), and San Timoteo Energy Associates, to develop and implement the innovative BEACON project, which aims to train and connect technical experts with building owners statewide who need assistance in meeting the CBPS.
The BEACON Fellowship project will establish a cohort of at least 60 fellows over a three-year period. These fellows will provide energy services to owners and/or operators of large commercial and multifamily buildings, helping them achieve energy savings and comply with the CBPS. The fellows will be placed in communities for ten months, offering no-cost technical services to covered buildings in their area.
With this project, at least 2,000 buildings are anticipated to be served by BEACON Fellows, with a focus on areas identified as underserved and overburdened communities.
Program update as of March 31, 2026
The first cohort of BEACON fellows concluded on March 31, 2026, and BEACON services are currently on hold. A second cohort has not yet been scheduled, resulting in a temporary gap in services. Subscribe to the Clean Buildings Bulletin to receive an announcement for when no-cost BEACON services resume. Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
If you need assistance with the Clean Buildings Performance Standard, you can request a meeting through the Smart Buildings Center Help Desk or submit a customer support ticket to the Commerce Clean Buildings Team.
About the fellowship
The first group of fellows will launch in June 2025 and will be placed with partners that can provide mentorship and guidance over their 10-month career-launching fellowship.
SEI will be the fellows’ employer of record. They will provide mentorship and project-scoping support and handle all HR needs such as payroll, health care, insurance, etc.
Fellows will receive training such as Green Building Practicum, Building Operator Certification, and CBPS compliance supported by Commerce, San Timoteo Associates, and the Smart Buildings Center.
Fellows will provide the following services to Tier 1 and Tier 2 building owners:
- Outreach and education
- Clean Buildings Portal support
- Energy benchmarking
- Support for energy management planning
- Support for operations and maintenance
- Support for exemption and incentive applications
Become a fellow
If you are passionate about addressing climate change, committed to making a difference in Washington communities, and want an exceptional opportunity to develop real-world skills for a career in the environmental sustainability field, the BEACON Fellowship may be for you. Our Fellows will be recruited through SEI’s Climate Corps Program.
For more information on becoming a Fellow, please visit SEI’s Climate Corps page.
Become a fellowship host
A fellowship host organization provides a dedicated workspace for the fellow as well as supervision and mentorship support. In exchange, the host receives support in complying with the Clean Buildings Performance Standard. The fellow can provide up to 25 percent of their time to support the host site. The fellow will also use the space as their primary office location while working to support other building owners.
Interested in becoming a host? Complete the BEACON interest form.
For additional questions, please email [email protected].
About BEACON and DOE
The U.S. Department of Energy has selected the Building Efficiency and Clean Operations Network (BEACON), a Commerce project supporting Washington’s first-in-nation Clean Buildings Performance Standard (CBPS), for a $10 million grant. The mission of the Energy Department is to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. Learn more at Energy.gov.
To request a copy of the Community Benefits Plan email [email protected].
