8.1 Energy audit. The qualified energy auditor shall complete and submit the energy audit form, Form D - Audit Template, along with the energy audit report to the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). If an energy audit is required within this section, a copy of the audit summary results shall be included in the compliance documentation in a format specified in Normative Annex Z. Compliance with this standard shall be achieved by adopting energy efficiency measures (EEMs) that collectively will reduce annual building energy use.
Exception to 8.1: For Level 1 audit, no Form D is required unless complying through conditional compliance or the decarbonization plan exception to Section W3.1.1(1).
8.1.1 The following end uses are not included in this standard:
• Industrial processes;
• Agricultural processes;
• Irrigation.
8.1.2 Following the completion of the energy audit, the building owner will select and implement EEMs per the requirements of Section 9.
8.2 Energy audit requirements for buildings.
8.2.1Meeting the energy use intensity targets (EUIt).Buildings complying through Section 4.3.2 Meeting the energy use intensity target (EUIt) that meet their energy use intensity targets (EUIt) under Section 7 are not required to perform an energy audit.
8.2.2 Building does not meet the energy use intensity target (EUIt) - Energy audit overall process. An energy audit shall be conducted, and an associated energy audit report shall be provided, for all buildings that do not meet the EUIt complying through Section 4.3.2.1 Building does not meet the energy use intensity target (EUIt). The energy audit shall be completed by a qualified energy auditor practicing within their field of competency. The energy audit shall be at an audit level specified by the qualified energy auditor to be sufficient to identify and evaluate the EEMs that, if implemented, would result in the building meeting its EUIt. The qualified energy auditor may refer to the list of potential EEMs in Informative Annex E.
After the completion of the audit and the selection of EEMs to be implemented, the applicant must calculate an adjusted energy use intensity (EUI) for the building based on the estimated energy savings from the selected EEMs and the historical energy use of the building. This adjusted EUI is then compared to the EUIt for the building. Buildings complying through Section 4.3.2.1 Building does not meet the energy use intensity target (EUIt) if the adjusted EUI is less than or equal to the EUIt, the applicant shall proceed with implementation as specified in Section 9. If the adjusted EUI is greater than the EUIt, a more rigorous energy audit investigation is required to identify additional EEMs. This process is repeated until the building's adjusted EUI is less than or equal to its EUIt.
Calculation of the adjusted EUI for buildings complying through Section 4.3.2 Building meets the energy use intensity target (EUIt) is shown in the following equation:
EUIadj | = | (Energyhist - Energysaved)/GFA |
Where: | ||
Energyhist | = | Historical annual energy use, kBtu |
Energysaved | = | Estimated annual energy savings, kBtu |
GFA | = | Gross floor area, ft2 |
Exception to 8.2.2:Buildings may use energy audits completed within five years prior to the building's compliance date, provided that the scope of the energy audit meets the requirements of this section and there have been minimal changes to the systems within the audit scope. In this case, the same comparison of adjusted EUI to EUIt shall be made by the applicant. If the EEMs identified in the audit are still applicable, have not been implemented, and if implemented would result in the building meeting its EUIt, these measures shall be implemented by the facility, and the project shall follow the procedures in Section 9. If the identified EEMs do not result in an adjusted EUI less than or equal to the EUIt, a new energy audit shall be conducted as described in Section 8.2.2.
8.2.3 Investment criteria - Energy audit overall process. A Level 2 energy audit (as defined in Section 8.3.2 Level 2 audit) shall be conducted for all Tier 1 covered buildings complying through Section 4.3.3 Investment criteria. The energy audit, Form D - Audit Template, and the associated energy audit report shall be completed by a qualified energy auditor practicing within their field of competence.
Exception to 8.2.3:Buildings may use energy audits completed within five years prior to the building's compliance date, provided that the scope of the energy audit meets the requirements of this section and that there have been minimal changes to the systems within the audit scope. The energy audit must be evaluated consistent with the investment criteria in Normative Annex X.
8.2.3.1 Investment criteria - Energy audit scope. The scope of the energy audit shall include the following required end uses as applicable to the building:
• Envelope;
• Lighting;
• Cooling;
• Heating;
• Ventilation and exhaust systems;
• Air distribution systems;
• Heating, chilled, condenser, and domestic water systems;
• Refrigeration except for food processing refrigeration;
• Power generation equipment;
• Uninterruptible power supplies and power distribution units;
• People-moving systems;
• The scope of the energy audit may include campus district heating and/or cooling systems when the campus district heating and/or cooling system serves the building being audited.
8.2.4 Minimum energy use reduction - Energy audit overall process. An energy audit shall be conducted, and an associated energy audit report shall be provided, for all buildings complying through Section 4.3.4 Minimum energy use reduction. The energy audit shall be completed by a qualified energy auditor practicing within their field of competence. The energy audit shall be at an audit level specified by the qualified energy auditor to be sufficient to identify and evaluate the EEMs that, if implemented, would result in the building meeting its minimum energy use reduction. The qualified energy auditor may refer to the list of potential EEMs in Informative Annex E.
After the completion of the energy audit and the selection of EEMs to be implemented, the applicant must calculate an adjusted energy use intensity (EUI) for the building based on the estimated energy savings from the selected EEMs and the historical energy use of the building. This adjusted EUI is then compared to the EUIt for the building.
Buildings complying through Section 4.3.4 Minimum energy use reduction if the adjusted EUI is 15 percent lower than the baseline WNEUI, the applicant shall proceed with implementation as specified in Section 9. If the adjusted EUI does not achieve the 15 percent reduction required, a more rigorous energy audit investigation is required to identify additional EEMs. This process is repeated until the building's adjusted EUI is 15 percent less than its baseline WNEUI.
Calculation of the adjusted EUI for buildings complying through Section 4.3.4 Minimum energy use reduction is shown in the following equation:
EUIadj | = | ((baselineWNEUI × GFA) - Energysaved)/GFA |
Where: | ||
baseline WNEUI | = | Historical annual energy use, WNEUI |
Note: | Baseline WNEUI measured from 12 consecutive months of data monitored in a period not to exceed five years prior to the building's compliance date. The building's baseline WNEUI in subsequent compliance cycles will be the compliance WNEUI from the previous compliance cycle. |
Energysaved | = | Estimated annual energy savings, kBtu |
GFA | = | Gross floor area, ft2 |
Exception to 8.2.4Buildings may use energy audits completed within five years prior to the building's compliance date, provided that the scope of the energy audit meets the requirements of this section and there have been minimal changes to the systems within the audit scope. In this case, the same comparison of adjusted EUI to minimum energy reduction shall be made by the applicant. If the EEMs identified in the audit are still applicable, have not been implemented, and if implemented would result in the building meeting its minimum energy reduction, these measures shall be implemented by the facility, and the project shall follow the procedures in Section 9. If the identified EEMs do not result in an adjusted EUI less than or equal to the minimum energy reduction, a new energy audit shall be conducted as described in Section 8.2.4.
8.2.5 Space heating electrification - Energy audit not required.Buildings that implement space heating electrification are not required to perform an energy audit.
8.3 Energy audit levels. This section outlines the requirements for Level 1 and Level 2 energy audits for buildings.
8.3.1 Level 1 audit.Buildings shall perform a Level 1 audit (walk-through analysis) as defined in ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 211-2018 Standard for Commercial Building Energy Audits, Section 5.312.
8.3.2 Level 2 audit.Buildings shall perform a Level 2 audit (energy survey and engineering analysis) as defined in ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 211-2018 Standard for Commercial Building Energy Audits, Section 5.412.
8.4 Energy audit report. This section prescribes the overall approaches and methods to be used in the energy audit report for audits completed under Sections 8.3.1 or 8.3.2.
8.4.1 Audit results. The energy audit report shall define the actions necessary for the building owner to achieve the energy and cost savings that are recommended in the report.
Energy audit results shall be presented in a summary table that includes, at a minimum, an estimate of each of the following:
• A list of recommended EEMs that, if implemented, will meet the performance target for the building.
• The estimated energy savings and peak demand savings associated with each recommended EEM, expressed in the cost units used on the building owner's energy bills, and the units used for comparison with the performance target.
• The estimated (modeled) energy cost savings associated with each recommended EEM.
• The estimated cost of implementation for each recommended EEM. The costs of implementation shall include the required monitoring of energy savings per the requirements of Section 9.
The economic evaluation of measures are required by Normative Annex X.
8.4.2 Interactive effects. Energy savings analysis shall include interactive effects of all selected EEMs. When considering multiple EEMs with interactive effects, the order of analysis shall start with load reduction measures and proceed through distribution systems and associated equipment efficiencies and then plant and heat-rejection systems. Any interactive effects on equipment sizing and part load performance of equipment shall be accounted for due to reduced loads on subsequent systems.
8.4.3 Optimized bundling. The EEMs recommended in the energy audit report shall consist of an optimized bundle of EEMs.
8.4.4 Financial analysis. Financial analysis shall be made using current utility rate charges for the site. For customers who are charged based on time-of-use or peak demand (kW), cost analysis of those EEMs shall include appropriate treatment of the costs savings associated with the measures and reflect peak demand or time-of-use cost savings.
8.4.4.1 Nonfederal facilities. The minimum financial criteria required for reporting is specified in Normative Annex X.
8.4.4.2 U.S. federal facilities - Not adopted.
8.4.5 End-use analysis. The energy audit shall include an end-use analysis that compares the estimated energy use of the facility after implementation of all selected EEMs to historical utility consumption. The intent of this requirement is to ensure that estimates of the base-case end-use energy estimates and potential energy-savings estimates in the energy audit report are reasonable.
Informative Note: For example, if the audit identifies lighting retrofit opportunities, the qualified energy auditor shall compare the identified energy savings for those opportunities with the base-case energy use of the facility and demonstrate that they make up a reasonable fraction of the historical electricity consumption at the site.
8.4.5.2 Requirements for Level 2 audits. The qualified energy auditor is required to estimate the energy use of all end uses that individually comprise more than five percent of total historical building energy use. The energy estimates for these end uses shall be summed and compared to historical energy consumption for the facility. The sum of the base-case end-use energy estimates must be between 90 percent and 100 percent of the historical energy use at the site.
This comparison shall be conducted separately for each fuel type, such as electricity, natural gas, or fuel oil, for which EEMs are identified. On-site energy sources such as solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, and wind shall be included.
Correction for historical weather for the base year versus average weather used in baseline estimates may be used.
The same energy use estimates that comprise the end-use analysis shall also be used as the basis for energy savings calculations. The qualified energy auditor shall verify that each EEM savings estimate is reasonable in comparison to the historical energy consumption of that end use based on energy consumption survey data or experience with similar sites.
The qualified energy auditor shall verify that the combined savings from multiple EEMs shall take into account interactive effects among measures.
Miscellaneous plug loads may be estimated on average equipment power density and building area. (See Form D in Normative Annex Z.)
8.4.6 Baseline. The baseline for energy- and cost-savings estimates shall be taken to be the condition of the existing building at the time of the initial comparison with the building's performance target or at the time of the initial required audit. The energy-savings estimates shall be calculated as the difference between the energy use of proposed systems and the baseline energy use estimates of those systems.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27A.210 and 19.27A.250. WSR 26-15-112, s 194-50-080, filed 7/21/26, effective 8/21/26. Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27A.210. WSR 24-16-041, § 194-50-080, filed 7/30/24, effective 8/30/24. Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27A.210 and 19.27A.250. WSR 24-03-033, § 194-50-080, filed 1/8/24, effective 2/8/24. Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27A.210. WSR 20-22-059, § 194-50-080, filed 10/30/20, effective 11/30/20.]