AWC Energy Audit Grant Program
Contact: Brianna Morin
Grant application cycle is now open through January 31, 2025. View the application materials below.
Table of contents
Purpose
The purpose of the Energy Audit Grant Program is to:
- Assist cities that 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 to 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 Washington State Department of Commerce’s Energy Retrofits and Solar Power for Public Buildings program, which is supported by funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA). The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov.
Grant cycle
The grant is currently open. AWC will accept applications on a rolling basis through January 31, 2025.
Estimated timeframe
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AWC hosts online info session
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August 28
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AWC issues request for applications
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September 13
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Applications accepted
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September 13, 2024, through January 31, 2025
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Application evaluation
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Ongoing
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Notification of "apparent successful applicant"
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Within six weeks of application submission
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Audits conducted
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Ongoing until May 16, 2025
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Required reporting and invoice due to AWC
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Within three months of award notice, unless award notice is given less than three months from May 16, 2025, in which case the audit report and invoice are due to AWC by May 16, 2025.
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Application materials
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.
Funding will be awarded only for the cost of the audit, on a reimbursement basis.
Cities that 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.
State 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" is 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" is 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.
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Tier 1 buildings
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Tier 2 buildings
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Commercial buildings greater than 50,000 sq. ft.
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Commercial buildings 20,000 to 50,000 sq. ft. and multifamily residential buildings greater than 20,000 square feet.
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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
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Benchmarking, energy management plan, and operations and maintenance program requirements of the Clean Buildings Performance Standard
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Mandatory compliance begins June 1 of:
- 2026 for 220,000+ sq. ft.
- 2027 for 90,000+ sq. ft.
- 2028 for 50,000+ sq. ft.
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Mandatory reporting July 1, 2027
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Rules are established and can be found in WAC 194-50
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Rules are established and can be found in WAC 194-50
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See the Clean Buildings Performance Standard webpage for more details about compliance and deadlines.
Resources
AWC held an online information session on August 28. Check out the session materials to learn more about the grant program:
View the presentation slides:
Other helpful 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-related building standards
FAQ
Q – Is there a local match requirement?
A – There is no local match requirement for this grant.
Q – If my city has already budgeted for an energy audit, can we use AWC’s grant funding instead?
A – If the previously budgeted funds are local funds (not federal or state funds), the audit has not yet been conducted, and the city funding has not yet been expended, then yes, the city may amend its budget to replace the local funding with AWC’s grant dollars.
Q – Can only city governments apply?
A – Yes, AWC’s grant is only for cities and towns that own qualifying buildings. However, the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) was allocated the same amount of funding as AWC and is administering a grant for energy audits of county-owned qualifying buildings. Learn more on WSAC’s grant program page.
Contact
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 the Dept. of Commerce: