In February 2001 the Seattle City Council passed Resolution 30280 directing the Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD, Seattle’s Building Department) and Seattle City Light (the public utility) to propose Seattle Energy Code amendments to achieve a 20% improvement in energy efficiency for nonresidential buildings compared to ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1. The Resolution 30280 goal is consistent with other city and national initiatives, as Seattle’s Green Building Policy requires that all city buildings over 5,000 ft² achieve a 20% improvement in energy efficiency and the goal for the next edition of the national standard is also to increase energy efficiency by 20%.

The Seattle Energy Code achieves increases in energy efficiency compared to Standard 90.1 in the areas of building envelope, mechanical systems, and lighting.

This paper will provide an overview of the adoption process, list the Seattle Energy Code requirements, compare them with ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1, summarize the energy savings estimates, and describe implementation.