The Washington State Clean Building Standard (CBS) is a nation-leading law that requires thousands of commercial buildings to meet an energy efficiency performance target, make potential large capital investments, or be subject to substantial penalties.
Don’t be fooled by the law’s June 1, 2026, compliance date for the first cohort of Tier 1 buildings, those sized 220,00sf+. Compliance dates mark the time by which buildings will have needed to complete significant work plus a year proving the building’s operations at target energy performance. Work must be done by mid-2025 to meet a mid-2026 deadline.
Compliance for Tier 1 cohorts of smaller buildings follow in 2027 (buildings 90,000-220,000sf) and 2028 (50,000-90,000sf). Tier 2 buildings – multifamily buildings as well as commercial-scale building 20,000-50,000sf – follow a somewhat different path to compliance. Compliance requires action from a “qualified person,” by reviewing the requirements for energy management plans and operations and management protocols in support of CBS compliance.
The CBS program simultaneously improves building occupant comfort, lowers energy costs, and reduces carbon footprints. UMC is proud to employ a dozen professionals on the Clean Buildings Standard qualified person list with the Washington State Dept of Commerce.
What does it mean to be an official Clean Buildings Standard qualified person?
The CBS defines a qualified person as someone having training, expertise and three years of professional experience in building energy-use analysis as well as any of the following:
- A licensed professional architect or engineer in the jurisdiction where the project is located;
- A person with Building Operator Certification (BOC) Level II by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council;
- A certified commissioning professional;
- A qualified energy auditor;
- A certified energy manager (CEM) in current standing, certified by the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE);
- An energy management professional (EMP) certified by the Energy Management Association.
What does this mean for UMC customers?
The intricacies of the Clean Buildings Standard law will carry both immediate and long-term impacts for your building. UMC offers credentialed expertise to benchmark your building’s energy use, and help you design an optimal compliance pathway. They’re even able to recommend appropriate available funding to support the work.
Who meets the challenge to be a “CBS qualified person” at UMC?
With more qualified people on staff than in any other company, UMC is well-positioned to assist in Clean Buildings compliance in all counties. As recognized by the State of WA, our officially “qualified person” staff members include:
- Brandon Thompson, PE, LEED AP, Lead Engineer
- Brian Maxwell, CEM, Support Services Manager
- David Malone, PE, Preconstruction Director
- David McCaughey, CEM, CHPEW, Senior Business Developer
- Justin Cobb, CEM, PMP, Service Projects Team Manager
- Kristie Haines, PE, Design Engineer
- Martin Clinton, M.S., CEM, CEA, Building Performance Services Manager
- Michael Bergstrom, MBA, CEM, Business Developer
- Neil Poyner, PE, Energy Design Engineer
- Ron Major, CEM, Project Developer
- Scott Locke, PE, LEED AP, Business Development Director/Associate
- Steve Brooks, PE, President
- Steve Russo, PE, Major Projects Director
- Trevor Mays, CEM, Senior Project Developer
- Troy Turpin, CEM, Development Director
- Yury Uzhansky, PE, Lead Engineer
With so much opportunity to gain and costly fines to avoid, why settle for unqualified input in your building? UMC’s qualified people deliver high-quality work that will enable you to comply with the CBS, as well as setting a framework to achieve other high-level goals like electrification, energy use intensity (EUI) targets, and more.
Questions or Comments?
For media inquiries or related questions, please contact info@umci.com
