Northwest Energy Efficiency Council

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WA State Building Code Council Sets 2009 WSEC Implementation Date

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The Washington SBCC has set January 1, 2011 as the implementation date for the 2009 Washington State Energy Code. The new code was originally set for implementation on July 1st this year but was delayed at the request of Governor Chris Gregoire. Projects permitted after this date will be covered by the new code. NEEC has an electronic copy of the 2009 WSEC on its web site for free download as well as updated compliance forms for the 2009 version. Code trainings are also being sponsored by NEEC (current series underway) with more expected in early 2011. In addition, the Seattle Energy Code has been approved by the Seattle City Council this month. The following information is courtesy of John Hogan at Seattle DPD;
The 2009 Seattle Energy Code, as recommended by the Mayor, has now been approved by the City Council: 

  • The Seattle City Council’s Committee on the Built Environment took up the 2009 Seattle Energy Code ordinance at a meeting last week and recommended approval. The 2009 Seattle Energy Code ordinance was then considered and approved by the full Seattle City Council on Monday of this week. We are now awaiting the Mayor’s signature, expected very shortly.
  • The ordinance can be downloaded under the “2009 Seattle Energy Code Update” link in the upper right hand corner of the Seattle Energy Code homepage. The ordinance adopts the 2009 Washington State Energy Code by reference and then contains the multiple Seattle amendments. So, in order to have the entire code, you need to look at both the 2009 Washington State Energy Code and the Seattle ordinance. Wherever the Seattle ordinance contains modifications to a section, the ordinance language supersedes the 2009 Washington State Energy Code. There is no one document at this point that folds all the text together. (We are in the process of preparing the Seattle insert pages for the 2009 Washington State Energy Code.)

Effective Dates:

  • For nonresidential spaces, the intent is to have a grace period for the 2009 Seattle Energy Code that would end so as to coincide with the end of the grace period for other Seattle code updates. The last date on which DPD will be accepting applications using the 2006 codes will be 22 November 2010.
  • For residential spaces, the 2009 Washington State Energy Code (WSEC) requirements will take effect on 1 January 2011, as decided by the Washington State Building Code Council (WSBCC) at their meeting last Friday.