The new Seattle Clean Buildings Accelerator technical support program assists building owners or managers to meet the WA Clean Buildings Law (applies to commercial, nonprofit & nonresidential buildings 50,000 ft2 and larger) and reduce building emissions. An educational path for all buildings and individualized coaching will be starting this fall. Coaching training spaces are prioritized for buildings that serve or have importance to frontline communities (e.g., black, indigenous, people of color, immigrants, refugees, youth, elders, houseless people, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, low-income). This could include many types of buildings or those with tenants like nonprofit organizations, small/local businesses, museums, shelters, community centers, worship facilities, health centers, nursing homes, and more. Register for a Sept 7th (noon â 1pm) info session or visit the program website to learn more and watch a past info session recording.
SBC Clean Buildings Performance Standard Technical Assistance Helpdesk
Do you wonder what the Washington State Clean Buildings Performance Standard is about or donât know where to start to bring your building into compliance?
The Smart Buildings Center’s Clean Buildings Performance Standard Technical Assistance Helpdesk offers support to building owners, managers, and facility personnel responsible for their building’s compliance with the Washington State Clean Buildings Performance Standard.
The utility-sponsored helpdesk offers:
- Free one-on-one coaching during office hours via phone, virtual meetings, and email
- A resource webpage including training videos
- A searchable table for Qualified Persons and Qualified Energy Auditors
- FAQs
For more information and to schedule a consultation, please visit https://smartbuildingscenter.org/resources/clean-buildings-performance-standard/
Thank you to our sponsors!
Upcoming Lighting Design Lab Courses
Light Sources and Luminaires
Thu, Sep 15Â | 10am-noon | FREE
Participants will learn the major characteristics of modern LED light sources and luminaires and how to effectively select and specify them for projects. This class will be suitable for newer lighting practitioners including designers, contractors, architects, engineers, building operators, sales people, and those seeking to update their knowledge and skills.
https://www.lightingdesignlab.com/education/event/light-sources-and-luminaires
Lighting Audits & Retrofits
Thu, Sep 22 | 10am-noon | FREE
Attendees of this class will gain access to tools to assist them on a variety of lighting upgrades projects.
https://www.lightingdesignlab.com/education/event/lighting-audits-and-retrofits
Electrification of the Built Environment – Day 1
Tue, Sep 27Â | 10am-noon | FREE
DAY 1 OF 2. This class presents an overview of building electrification in residential and commercial settings. Attendees will explore various avenues that work toward electrification goals including heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and electrification. Challenges to electrification and ways to overcome them will also be examined.
https://www.lightingdesignlab.com/education/event/electrification-built-environment-day-1
Electrification of the Built Environment – Day 2 Â
Thu, Sep 29Â | 10am-noon | FREE
DAY 2 OF 2. This class presents an overview of building electrification in residential and commercial settings. Attendees will explore various avenues that work toward electrification goals including heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and electrification. Challenges to electrification and ways to overcome them will also be examined.
https://www.lightingdesignlab.com/education/event/electrification-built-environment-day-2
Online Open House: Seattle Building Performance Standards Draft Policy Framework, June 16th at 12pm
Join the Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE) for an online open house about potential Seattle Building Performance Standards (BPS) regulations â a powerful tool to reduce climate pollution and transition toward cleaner, healthier buildings where we live and work.
Participate in the open house for an update on work to date and highlights of stakeholder feedback received.
 OSE will share the draft BPS policy framework for the legislation, the policy timeline, and take comments and questions. This 2nd open house is a follow-up to the April 5th event (visit link below for recording and summary).
- Date: June 16, 2022 from 12:00pm to 1:30pm
- Location: Online via Zoom
- More information and pre-register here: www.seattle.gov/building-performance-standards
- Questions: [email protected]
Performance standards are the single most impactful building policy the City can implement in the next few years and are projected to reduce building sector emissions 27% by 2050. This policy would gradually phase out carbon pollution from existing nonresidential and multifamily buildings over 20,000 sq. ft. through mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets beginning 2026 for the largest nonresidential buildings. Targets would become more stringent over time, to net-zero GHG emissions by 2045. Register for the open house at: www.seattle.gov/building-performance-standards
New Resources: Understanding Your Buildingâs Path to Carbon Neutral
Buildings are one of the largest and fastest growing sources of climate pollution in Seattle, responsible for more than one-third of our greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions pollute our air, accelerate climate change, and harm peopleâs health and the environment, disproportionately impacting communities of color and people with lower incomes. Many U.S. cities, including Seattle, are developing Building Performance Standards (BPS) that set long term targets on climate-polluting emissions from buildings. To help building owners get started, the City of Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment has developed new case studies, most of which include cost estimates. View the case studies here.
Tool Lending Library Case Study – Hospital Electricity Use
The Smart Buildings Center Tool Lending Library supported a yearlong project led by Mazzetti, a health care engineering, planning, and design firm, to study electricity use at eight hospitals across the country.
During the pandemic, Mazzetti, on behalf of the Fire Protection Research Foundation, studied electrical demand in hospitals. Although the study initially planned to look at electrical loads in multiple occupancies, after the pandemic started, Mazzetti realized there was a unique opportunityâfor the first time in a hundred years, since the 1918 flu pandemicâto look at electrical loads in hospitals during a pandemic.
Mazzetti borrowed Fluke 1730 3 Phase Logging Power Meters from the Tool Lending Library to measure electrical loads at hospital panels. These meters were installed at hospital panels and helped in conducting a robust study.
