Ferguson

How does Ferguson compare with other distribution center buildings in Seattle?

The latest disclosures cover 38 distribution center buildings in Seattle, out of 3,871 buildings citywide. Ferguson's ENERGY STAR score of 45 compares with an average of 62 across the 33 that report a score; it scores higher than 21% of them and lower than 76%. Its site EUI of 24.1 kBtu/ft² is about 12% below the average of 27.3 kBtu/ft² — it uses less energy per square foot than the typical building in that group. Its emissions intensity of 0.5 kgCO₂e/ft² is about 15% below the group average of 0.6 kgCO₂e/ft².

At 72,719 sq ft, it is about 16% above the average floor area of 62,568 sq ft for those buildings. It was built in 1953, 14 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 Ferguson's energy performance changed over time?

BuildingCensus holds 11 Seattle disclosures for Ferguson, covering report years 2015–2025. Its ENERGY STAR score went from 31 in 2015 to 45 in 2025 (+14 points). Site EUI moved from 33.5 kBtu/ft² (2015) to 24.1 kBtu/ft² (2025), a 28% decrease. Reported emissions went from 36 tCO₂e to 37 tCO₂e over the same span (up 3%).

What does an ENERGY STAR score of 45 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 45 means the building performs better than about 45% of its national peers. BuildingCensus bands the score into report-card grades; 45 falls in band D — lowest band (1–54). It sits 30 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. Ferguson's 24.1 kBtu/ft² across 72,719 sq ft works out to about 1.8 billion Btu (514 MWh-equivalent) in 2025. Its source EUI of 53.3 kBtu/ft² also counts the energy lost generating and delivering that power, which is why it is higher. The disclosure also reports 340,923 kWh of electricity and 5,922 therms of natural gas for the year.

Which law requires Ferguson to report its energy use?

Ferguson 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:647:2025). 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.