Programs & requirements · Washington

Washington Clean Buildings Compliance Support

Know your tier first. The work, the deadline and the evidence all follow from it.

Washington's Clean Buildings Performance Standard does not ask every building for the same thing. Tier 1 buildings must meet energy-performance requirements under the pathway that applies to them; Tier 2 buildings must benchmark, adopt an energy-management plan and run an operations-and-maintenance program. Knowing which tier a building falls in, and when its deadline arrives, decides the technical work before anyone proposes a retrofit. Green Summit helps Washington building owners organize a practical response, building by building; we are a licensed engineering firm and a consulting partner delivering end-to-end compliance solutions, not Washington Commerce, and your project team must meet the standard's qualified-person requirements.

Licensed engineering firm
Founded 2014
Audit-ready documentation
Independent of program administrators

Who this page is for

Owners and managers of covered Washington buildings, from the commercial, institutional and public properties in Tier 1 to the qualifying multifamily and other buildings in Tier 2, along with the portfolio teams that report for many of them. Federal buildings and buildings owned by federally recognized Tribes are not mandatory covered buildings under the state's stated exclusions.

What we do

Review applicability and tier. We verify building area, use, ownership, records, exemptions and the reporting schedule that applies.
Plan the technical work. We coordinate benchmarking, energy-management and operations-and-maintenance documentation, with audit and improvement analysis where the pathway requires it.
Support delivery and incentives. We organize records, qualified-professional reviews and eligible incentive applications without assuming funding or a universal retrofit requirement.

Our process

Identify the tier and the governing pathway. We place each building in its tier and establish the pathway and schedule that govern it.
Assess what is still needed. We review the data, plans and technical work the building has and the work it still lacks.
Coordinate documentation, implementation and follow-up. We keep you and the qualified professionals working from the same records through reporting and beyond.

Benefits

A clear work plan for each covered building.
Consistent portfolio records that never treat every building identically.
Earlier visibility of missing data, responsibilities and deadlines.

Why Green Summit

Green Summit brings benchmarking, audits, modeling and implementation coordination together in one team, so the plan for each building comes from people who can also carry it out. Founded in 2014, we are a licensed engineering firm, and we build every record to be audit-ready from day one.

Green Summit is a consulting firm, not Washington Commerce, and your project team must meet the qualified-person requirements the standard sets. We are independent of the program administrator, and we will tell you when the program itself offers free help you should use first.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Clean Buildings Performance Standard?

It is Washington's requirement for existing covered buildings, administered by Washington Commerce, that assigns buildings to tiers. Tier 1 carries energy-performance requirements under the pathway that applies; Tier 2 carries benchmarking, energy-management-plan and operations-and-maintenance requirements. Each tier has its own reporting schedule.

How do Tier 1 and Tier 2 differ?

Tier 1 includes energy-performance requirements under the pathway that applies. Tier 2 focuses on benchmarking, energy-management plans and operations-and-maintenance programs. We never assume a Tier 2 building needs a major retrofit.

When are the principal deadlines?

Tier 1 deadlines are June 1, 2026 for buildings over 220,000 square feet; June 1, 2027 for those over 90,000 through 220,000; and June 1, 2028 for those over 50,000 through 90,000. Tier 2 reporting is due July 1, 2027. Applicability and exclusions still require review.

Are multifamily properties included?

Qualifying multifamily buildings fall within Tier 2. We evaluate the building's area, use and ownership against the current program definitions rather than infer coverage from a portfolio label.

Are Tribal and federal buildings required to comply?

Federal buildings and buildings owned by federally recognized Tribes are not treated as mandatory covered buildings under the state's stated exclusions. We review ownership and any voluntary participation separately.

Are early-adopter incentives guaranteed?

No. Separate eligibility, timing, funding and documentation requirements apply. We assess the opportunity and organize the evidence; Commerce decides acceptance and payment.

Let's talk about your buildings' tier and timeline.

Tell us the buildings, their approximate size and use, and what benchmarking or planning you already have in place.

Program and technical references

Washington Commerce: Clean Buildings Performance Standard

Washington Commerce: Tier 2 compliance

Program information reviewed September 22, 2026. Current applicability, qualifications and program terms are confirmed for each engagement.

Or call 321-273-2200 · inquiry@greensummit.com