400 University

How does 400 University compare with other office buildings in Seattle?

The latest disclosures cover 497 office buildings in Seattle, out of 3,871 buildings citywide. 400 University's ENERGY STAR score of 71 compares with an average of 76 across the 378 that report a score; it scores higher than 28% of them and lower than 72%. Its site EUI of 43.4 kBtu/ft² is roughly in line with the average of 44.8 kBtu/ft² — it uses less energy per square foot than the typical building in that group. Its emissions intensity of 1.2 kgCO₂e/ft² is about 66% above the group average of 0.7 kgCO₂e/ft².

At 122,000 sq ft, it is about 38% below the average floor area of 196,452 sq ft for those buildings. It was built in 2020, 55 years later than the group's average year built (1965). Across all 24 jurisdictions BuildingCensus covers, the 15,264 office buildings average an ENERGY STAR score of 73 and a site EUI of 59.3 kBtu/ft².

How has 400 University's energy performance changed over time?

BuildingCensus holds 4 Seattle disclosures for 400 University, covering report years 2022–2025. Its ENERGY STAR score went from 94 in 2024 to 71 in 2025 (-23 points); its best year on file was 2024, at 94. Site EUI moved from 5.0 kBtu/ft² (2022) to 43.4 kBtu/ft² (2025), an 768% increase. Reported emissions went from 4 tCO₂e to 154 tCO₂e over the same span (up 4059%).

What does an ENERGY STAR score of 71 mean?

ENERGY STAR scores run from 1 to 100 and are computed by the EPA's Portfolio Manager as a percentile against similar buildings nationwide, adjusted for climate, size and use: a score of 71 means the building performs better than about 71% of its national peers. BuildingCensus bands the score into report-card grades; 71 falls in band B — above median (70–84). It sits 4 points below 75, the threshold for ENERGY STAR certification. In Seattle, 69% of scored buildings are at 75 or above.

Site energy-use intensity (EUI) is the energy a building uses on site in a year divided by its floor area, in thousand Btu per square foot — lower is more efficient. 400 University's 43.4 kBtu/ft² across 122,000 sq ft works out to about 5.3 billion Btu (1,552 MWh-equivalent) in 2025. Its source EUI of 89.4 kBtu/ft² also counts the energy lost generating and delivering that power, which is why it is higher. The disclosure also reports 1,012,738 kWh of electricity and 25,268 therms of natural gas for the year.

Which law requires 400 University to report its energy use?

400 University reports under the Seattle Energy Benchmarking Ordinance (SMC 22.920), the legal basis of Seattle's Building Energy Benchmarking program, which publishes each covered building's annual benchmarking results. The record shown here is the report-year 2025 disclosure (source record seattle:50881:2025). Seattle's Building Emissions Performance Standard (adopted 2023) applies to buildings over 20,000 sq ft: benchmarking verification is due 2027–2030 and initial emissions targets 2031–2035, reaching net zero by 2041–2050, with fines for non-compliance.