Seattle building energy benchmarking
Every building disclosed under Seattle Energy Benchmarking Ordinance (SMC 22.920) (Building Energy Benchmarking), graded and cross-linked. Seattle's Building Emissions Performance Standard (2023) sets declining carbon targets for buildings over 20,000 sq ft, with penalties for non-compliance beginning in the 2030s.
Dataset updated . Source: Building Energy Benchmarking public disclosure.
The map
Seattle, colored by grade
Zoom in to reveal smaller buildings; markers color by ENERGY STAR grade (A green → D signal orange).
The report card
Grade distribution
ENERGY STAR scores banded A (85–100) / B (70–84) / C (55–69) / D (1–54); buildings without a score excluded.
Large buildings (≥ 50,000 sq ft)
Most efficient
| Building | Score | Site EUI | Floor area |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWEDISH MEDICAL CENTER FIRST HILL - Campus | A100 | 110.0 kBtu/ft² | 2,080,885 sq ft |
| THE STANDARD AT SEATTLE | A100 | 32.3 kBtu/ft² | 612,844 sq ft |
| THE DANFORTH | A100 | 18.1 kBtu/ft² | 592,484 sq ft |
| Nexus | A100 | 24.5 kBtu/ft² | 522,137 sq ft |
| Sitka Apartments | A100 | 23.9 kBtu/ft² | 518,888 sq ft |
| URBANA APARTMENTS | A100 | 30.7 kBtu/ft² | 473,387 sq ft |
| TRAILSIDE - STUDENT HOUSING | A100 | 29.6 kBtu/ft² | 448,353 sq ft |
| BALLARD ON THE PARK APARTMENTS | A100 | 28.9 kBtu/ft² | 447,755 sq ft |
| AMLI MARK 24 APTS | A100 | 29.0 kBtu/ft² | 418,285 sq ft |
| Emerson (prev Modera First Hill) | A100 | 23.4 kBtu/ft² | 393,343 sq ft |
Penalty exposure
Least efficient
| Building | Score | Site EUI | Floor area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4545 15TH AVE NE | D1 | 254.6 kBtu/ft² | 113,944 sq ft |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE A | D1 | 61.2 kBtu/ft² | 81,477 sq ft |
| SORRENTO HOTEL | D1 | 367.5 kBtu/ft² | 76,631 sq ft |
| EVERGREEN WHLSLE FLORIST (DEMOLISHED) | D1 | 23.5 kBtu/ft² | 66,968 sq ft |
| 1201 BUILDING | D1 | 174.4 kBtu/ft² | 64,512 sq ft |
| RESTAURANT DEPOT | D1 | 163.1 kBtu/ft² | 63,225 sq ft |
| ANNALIESE | D1 | 61.1 kBtu/ft² | 58,152 sq ft |
| UNION GOSPEL MISSION ASSN - ADMIN BUILDING | D1 | 77.1 kBtu/ft² | 54,765 sq ft |
| SCCA - PROTON THERAPY CENTER | D1 | 479.2 kBtu/ft² | 53,575 sq ft |
| 3101 WESTERN (FORMERLY AIRBORNE BLDG) | D2 | 185.8 kBtu/ft² | 253,103 sq ft |
Taxonomy
Property-type mix
| Property type | Buildings | Avg score | Avg site EUI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multifamily LR (1-4) | 1,065 | B78 | 34.0 kBtu/ft² |
| Multifamily MR (5-9) | 815 | A87 | 36.6 kBtu/ft² |
| Office | 497 | B75 | 46.8 kBtu/ft² |
| Non-Refrigerated Warehouse | 163 | C57 | 30.7 kBtu/ft² |
| Mixed Use Property | 157 | B74 | 76.0 kBtu/ft² |
| K-12 School | 151 | C69 | 39.9 kBtu/ft² |
| Multifamily HR (10+) | 139 | C69 | 44.2 kBtu/ft² |
| Hotel | 86 | B74 | 70.5 kBtu/ft² |
| Retail Store | 68 | C69 | 49.1 kBtu/ft² |
| Worship Facility | 67 | D52 | 35.7 kBtu/ft² |
| Other | 50 | –— | 145.2 kBtu/ft² |
| Medical Office | 47 | C58 | 89.1 kBtu/ft² |
| Senior Living Community | 46 | C64 | 72.0 kBtu/ft² |
| Self-Storage Facility | 46 | –— | 14.1 kBtu/ft² |
| Distribution Center | 39 | C59 | 39.6 kBtu/ft² |
| Supermarket/Grocery Store | 37 | C68 | 213.1 kBtu/ft² |
| Laboratory | 27 | –— | 200.4 kBtu/ft² |
| College/University | 26 | A90 | 76.9 kBtu/ft² |
| Other - Recreation | 22 | –— | 136.6 kBtu/ft² |
| Parking | 19 | –— | 101.8 kBtu/ft² |
Linked types have dedicated pages (25+ buildings).
The disclosure record
Reporting trend
| Year | Buildings reporting | Avg score | Avg site EUI | Total emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 3,227 | 69 | 54.2 kBtu/ft² | 395,953 tCO₂e |
| 2016 | 4,574 | 69 | 51.0 kBtu/ft² | 487,019 tCO₂e |
| 2017 | 1,948 | 69 | 56.3 kBtu/ft² | 304,940 tCO₂e |
| 2018 | 3,635 | 72 | 52.2 kBtu/ft² | 378,997 tCO₂e |
| 2019 | 3,524 | 71 | 59.9 kBtu/ft² | 1,006,731 tCO₂e |
| 2020 | 3,742 | 75 | 54.9 kBtu/ft² | 557,539 tCO₂e |
| 2021 | 3,082 | 74 | 50.3 kBtu/ft² | 309,202 tCO₂e |
| 2022 | 3,077 | 75 | 58.0 kBtu/ft² | 475,828 tCO₂e |
| 2023 | 4,378 | 75 | 72.0 kBtu/ft² | 913,383 tCO₂e |
| 2024 | 3,512 | 76 | 52.9 kBtu/ft² | 1,030,395 tCO₂e |
Honest data
Source caveats
- Seattle's dataset reports no water-use field.
Frequently asked questions
How many buildings report energy use in Seattle?
3,823 Seattle buildings appear in the latest disclosure published under Seattle Energy Benchmarking Ordinance (SMC 22.920), of which 2,820 report an ENERGY STAR score (average 76).
What law requires Seattle buildings to disclose energy use?
Seattle Energy Benchmarking Ordinance (SMC 22.920) — the Building Energy Benchmarking program. Seattle's Building Emissions Performance Standard (2023) sets declining carbon targets for buildings over 20,000 sq ft, with penalties for non-compliance beginning in the 2030s.
Which Seattle building emits the most carbon?
UW - UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SEATTLE CAMPUS (Master) reported 581,655 tCO₂e in its latest disclosure year — the highest in Seattle's data. See the full biggest-emitters ranking.