Audio Visual Factory

How does Audio Visual Factory compare with other distribution center buildings in Seattle?

The latest disclosures cover 38 distribution center buildings in Seattle, out of 3,871 buildings citywide. Audio Visual Factory's ENERGY STAR score of 56 compares with an average of 62 across the 33 that report a score; it scores higher than 24% of them and lower than 70%. Its site EUI of 28.3 kBtu/ft² is roughly in line with the average of 27.3 kBtu/ft². Its emissions intensity of 0.7 kgCO₂e/ft² is about 18% above the group average of 0.6 kgCO₂e/ft².

At 27,000 sq ft, it is about 57% below the average floor area of 62,568 sq ft for those buildings. It was built in 1956, 11 years earlier than the group's average year built (1968). Across all 24 jurisdictions BuildingCensus covers, the 4,082 distribution center buildings average an ENERGY STAR score of 65 and a site EUI of 24.2 kBtu/ft².

How has Audio Visual Factory's energy performance changed over time?

BuildingCensus holds 11 Seattle disclosures for Audio Visual Factory, covering report years 2015–2025. Its ENERGY STAR score went from 59 in 2015 to 56 in 2025 (-3 points); its best year on file was 2021, at 72. Site EUI moved from 22.8 kBtu/ft² (2015) to 28.3 kBtu/ft² (2025), an 24% increase. Reported emissions went from 17 tCO₂e to 19 tCO₂e over the same span (up 12%).

What does an ENERGY STAR score of 56 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 56 means the building performs better than about 56% of its national peers. BuildingCensus bands the score into report-card grades; 56 falls in band C — below median (55–69). It sits 19 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. Audio Visual Factory's 28.3 kBtu/ft² across 27,000 sq ft works out to about 0.8 billion Btu (224 MWh-equivalent) in 2025. Its source EUI of 58.2 kBtu/ft² also counts the energy lost generating and delivering that power, which is why it is higher. The disclosure also reports 128,529 kWh of electricity and 3,268 therms of natural gas for the year.

Which law requires Audio Visual Factory to report its energy use?

Audio Visual Factory 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:20768:2025). 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.