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HB1543 rulemaking update: CR-102 filed

April 23, 2026 By SBC staff

Commerce filed the CR-102 for the HB1543 rulemaking on April 09, 2026. The proposed rules and the CR-102 form are available on the Clean Buildings webpage. The form includes:

  • Agency contact information
  • Intended adoption date
  • Public hearing details

Small Business Economic Impact Statement.

Public hearing: Thursday, May 28, 2026, 10 a.m.

The public hearing and end of the comment period for HB1543 rulemaking is scheduled for May 28, 2026. This is your opportunity to give a testimony on the proposed rules and to participate in the rulemaking process.

Register to participate

You can submit written comments can be submitted through the stakeholder comment form. The deadline for written comments is May 28, 2026, at 4:30 p.m.

Filed Under: SBC News

WA Commerce Webinar: Cool Classrooms on a Budget: How Federal Energy Tax Credits Can Help

April 23, 2026 By SBC staff

Monday, May 11 @ 1-2pm PT

Register here

As warmer weather returns, district leaders will face an uncomfortable reality: many classrooms without cooling are unable to keep students and staff safe in today’s climate. Several school districts are tapping into a reliable source for their heating and cooling: the ground. Hear from Seattle Public Schools and McKinstry about how school districts can incorporate ground-source heat pumps to support comfortable classrooms, minimize demands on maintenance staff, improve building resilience and reduce air pollution.

Schools can save up to 50% on the cost of installing this modern HVAC solution with non-competitive, uncapped federal funding available through 2034. Washington’s Clean Energy Tax Credit Assistance Program (CETCAP) provides free legal, technical, and filing support to help schools secure these dollars.

Leave this webinar with an understanding of ground-source heat pumps as a modern HVAC solution, including considerations for implementation, operations, and maintenance, and how all school districts can unlock this technology with federal funds.

Filed Under: Education & Training, Resources, Webinars

Happening this week at the Smart Buildings Center – Celebrating Earth Day! 

April 22, 2026 By SBC staff

On Earth Day and every day, the work of Building Potential and the Smart Buildings Center plays a critical role in supporting the long‑term sustainability of our planet. Buildings are one of the largest contributors to energy use and emissions, and empowering the people who operate them is one of the most effective ways to drive meaningful change. Whether it be through events like the Building Operator Certification training and Smart Buildings Exchange, advocating for environmentally responsible policy, or practical resources like the Tool Lending Library and providing spaces for the industry to convene, our programs help facilities and energy industry professionals reduce energy use, lower emissions, and create healthier, more efficient buildings. By investing in people, skills, and smarter building operations, we are helping to protect natural resources, strengthen communities, and move toward a more sustainable future for Earth.

Filed Under: SBC News

Clean Building Performance Webinar Series and New and Updated Guidance Documents

April 21, 2026 By SBC staff

CBPS Webinar Series: How to submit a Tier 1 compliance application

The first compliance deadline for Tier 1 buildings over 220,000 square feet is approaching quickly. To help building owners and their teams, the Clean Buildings team is hosting a webinar on how to submit a Tier 1 compliance application through the Clean Buildings Portal.

Join us on May 6, 2025, at 10 a.m. This session is designed for all Tier 1 covered buildings and will walk participants through accessing the portal, setting up shared access, connecting your compliance application to ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, and completing the submission. Whether you’re preparing your first application or want to make sure everything is submitted correctly, this webinar will provide step-by-step guidance and helpful tips.

 

REGISTER TO PARTICIPATE

 


New and updated guidance documents added

We’ve updated and added new guidance documents! Visit the Clean Buildings Document Library to review new and updated guidance documents.

Updated:

  • CBPS 008 Measuring Gross Floor Area (PDF) Revised 4/9/2026
  • CBPS 21-E Exemption: Agricultural Structures (PDF) Revised 4/9/2026
  • CBPS 21-F Exemption: Pending Demolition (PDF) Revised 4/9/2026

New

  • CBPS 041 Hotel Activity Type Guidance (Transient vs. Nontransient) Added 4/9/2026

Filed Under: Resources, Webinars

FREE Webinars at The Lab at City Light May – June

April 21, 2026 By SBC staff

Our friends at the The Lab at City Light want you to know about some upcoming Webinars. Don’t miss your chance to enroll in these free sessions from The Lab at City Light! Learn more about The Lab at: Lighting Design Lab

Selling Energy Projects with Pro Forma Thinking
May 14, 2026 | 10:00 – 11:00 am | Online | Free
You’ll also see how real-world capital pathways (C-PACE, performance contracting, Energy-as-a-Service, green bonds and tax credits) snap into a pro forma narrative that gets to “yes.” You’ll leave with a practical story arc, a sharper value stack and model inputs you can reuse to move bold projects from “interesting” to funded.
Performance Commissioning: Delivering High-Performance Buildings and Enabling Electrification
May 21, 2026 | 10:00 am – 11:30am | Online | Free
In this session, you’ll learn what performance commissioning is, how it differs from traditional approaches, and why it is essential for both new construction and retrofit projects. You’ll also gain insight into how it supports electrification and ensures reliable, efficient, and long-term building performance.
Urban Business District Lighting Review
May 28, 2026 | 10:00 am – 11:00am | Online | Free
This discussion will offer a review of human perception leading to practical tips on how to consider effective lighting including concepts. Real world examples will be used to illustrate effective design approaches as well as some cautionary tales.
Deliver High Performance Heat Pump Retrofits
June 4, 2026 | 10:00 – 11:00 am | Online | Free
In this session, David Richardson will layout a blueprint for how you can add High Performance Heat Pump Retrofits to your product offerings and avoid the most common pitfalls.

Filed Under: Webinars

ICYMI This Week at the Smart Buildings Center & Building Potential

April 16, 2026 By SBC staff

This week we hosted our third session in our SBX Plus webinar series, How to Utilize Diagnostic Tools to Identify Energy Savings. The presentation showcased how modern diagnostic tools uncover hidden inefficiencies in building systems and pinpoint actionable energy-saving opportunities. You can catch this recording, register for future sessions, and find more information and registration opportunities for Smart Buildings Exchange webinars and in person conference here.
Jorge Melendez, Senior Specialist of Conservation and Efficiency Programs at Southern California Edison, Robby Martin, Building Analytics Business Development Lead at ATS Automation and Britton Rife, Senior Project Manager at the SBC and Building Potential covered practical approaches to utilizing specific diagnostic tools, analyzing data, prioritizing improvements, and validating results. Many regions have access to commercial tool lending libraries, check them out here:

Washington & Oregon

Smart Buildings Center – https://www.smartbuildingscenter.org/tool-library/


Idaho

University of Idaho – Integrated Design Lab – http://idlboise.com/about-erl


California

Pacific Gas & Electric – www.pge.com/tools

Sonoma County – http://sonomacounty.ca.gov/General-Services/Energy-and-Sustainability/Tool-Lending-Library/

Southern California Edison – https://www.sce.com/business/consulting-services/energy-education-centers

San Diego Gas & Electric – https://www.sdge.com/energy-innovation-center/tool-and-book-lending-library


New York

CUNY Building Performance Lab – https://nycenergytools.com/

Filed Under: Featured Event, SBC News, SBX, Webinars

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News & Articles

HB1543 rulemaking update: CR-102 filed

April 23, 2026

WA Commerce Webinar: Cool Classrooms on a Budget: How Federal Energy Tax Credits Can Help

April 23, 2026

Happening this week at the Smart Buildings Center – Celebrating Earth Day! 

April 22, 2026

Clean Building Performance Webinar Series and New and Updated Guidance Documents

April 21, 2026

FREE Webinars at The Lab at City Light May – June

April 21, 2026

Contact Us

Smart Buildings Center
Pacific Tower
1200 12th Ave. S., Suite 110
Seattle, WA 98144

206-538-0832

[email protected]

Smart Buildings Center is a project collaboration with Building Potential

        

Smart Buildings Center · Pacific Tower, 1200 12th Ave. S., Suite 110, Seattle, WA 98144 · 206-538-0832

© 2026 · Northwest Energy Efficiency Council