AWC Energy Audit Grant Program
Contact: Brianna Morin
Informational session
Wednesday, August 28
Learn about the funding, how to apply, and what resources are available to assist your city through the process. Register now!
Purpose
The purpose of the Energy Audit Grant Program is to:
- Assist cities who own Tier 1 and Tier 2 covered buildings in completing energy audits.
- Collect data on the costs for cities to comply with the state’s Clean Buildings Performance Standard.
Funding
The 2023-25 Supplemental Capital Budget allocated $4,000,000 for the Association of Washington Cities to provide funding for energy audits on city-owned tier 1 and tier 2 covered buildings and collect and manage data on the costs for cities to comply with the requirements of the state’s energy-related building standards (RCW 19.27A.210 and 19.27A.250).
The grant is funded by Climate Commitment Act dollars through the Washington State Department of Commerce.
Grant cycle
The grant cycle will open on Friday, September 13. AWC will accept applications on a rolling basis, through January 31, 2025.
AWC will host an online information session on Wednesday, August 28, for interested cities to learn about the funding, how to apply, and what resources are available to assist cities through the process. Register here.
Estimated timeframe
|
Applicants’ online info. session
|
August 28
|
|
Issue request for applications
|
September 13
|
|
Applications due
|
September 13, 2024, through January 31, 2025
|
|
Evaluation
|
Ongoing
|
|
Notification of "apparent successful applicant"
|
Within six weeks from application submission
|
|
Audits conducted
|
Ongoing until May 16, 2025
|
|
Required reporting and invoice due to AWC
|
Within three months from award notice unless award notice is given less than three months from May 16, 2025. Then the audit report and invoice are due to AWC by May 16, 2025.
|
Applying
- Read the request for applications, application form, and certificate of assurance (all three coming soon)
- Obtain an audit proposal
- Submit your application materials here (link coming soon), including audit proposal and certificate of assurance
Awards
Applications will be reviewed and awarded in the order they are received until funding is exhausted.
AWC will fully or partially fund eligible Tier 1 and Tier 2 buildings, based on availability of funding.
Priority will be given to:
- Tier 1 buildings
- Buildings whose emissions are over the energy use intensity target
- Buildings that do not qualify for an exemption
Funding will be awarded only for the cost of the audit, on a reimbursement basis
Cities who have contracted for an energy audit between July 1, 2024, and the publication of this RFA may apply for the grant, provided they can meet the reporting requirements specified below.
- Cities who have conducted an energy audit prior to July 1, 2024, are not eligible for this funding.
Clean Buildings Performance Standard
Passed in 2019, the Clean Buildings Act intends to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption in large commercial buildings. The legislation directed the Dept. of Commerce to create a Clean Building Performance Standard, including:
- An energy performance standard and compliance process for non-residential buildings over 50,000 square feet.
- Requirements for energy management planning, operations and maintenance and tracking energy use over time for non-residential buildings larger than 20,000 square feet and multifamily buildings over 50,000 square feet.
Mandatory compliance with the standard is sorted by building size:
- A "Tier 1 covered building" means a building where the sum of nonresidential, hotel, motel, and dormitory floor areas exceed 50,000 gross square feet, excluding the parking garage area.
- A "Tier 2 covered building" means a building where the sum of multifamily residential, nonresidential, hotel, motel, and dormitory floor areas exceeds 20,000 gross square feet, but does not exceed 50,000 gross square feet, excluding the parking garage area. Tier 2 covered buildings also include multifamily residential buildings where floor areas are equal to or exceed 50,000 gross square feet, excluding the parking garage area.
|
Tier 1 buildings
|
Tier 2 buildings
|
|
Commercial buildings greater than 50,000 sq. ft.
|
Commercial buildings 20,000 to 50,000 sq. ft. and multifamily residential buildings greater than 20,000 square feet.
|
|
Benchmarking, energy management plan and operations and maintenance program requirements in addition to meeting the investment criteria or energy use intensity target performance metrics of the Clean Buildings Performance Standard
|
Benchmarking, energy management plan and operations and maintenance program requirements of the Clean Buildings Performance Standard
|
|
Mandatory compliance begins June 1 of:
- 2026 for 220,000+ sq. ft.
- 2027 for 90,000+ sq. ft.
- 2028 for 50,000+ sq. ft.
|
Mandatory reporting July 1, 2027
|
|
Rules are established and can be found in WAC 194-50
|
Rules are established and can be found in WAC 194-50
|
See the Clean Buildings Performance Standard webpage for more details about compliance and deadlines.
Resources
Clean Buildings Performance Standard: Home
Clean Buildings Performance Standard: How to comply
Dept. of Commerce: directory of qualified energy auditor voluntary list
Dept. of Enterprise Services: Energy Savings Performance Contracting
RCW: State energy-relate building standards
Questions
For questions about the grant opportunity, contact Brianna Morin, Legislative & Policy Analyst, at awcenergyauditgrant@awcnet.org or 360-753-4137.
For technical assistance related to the performance standard and the energy audit, contact the Clean Buildings team at Dept. of Commerce: