Staples Building
Retail Store in Seattle, WA · 1523 15TH AVE W · 98119
At a glance
Staples Building is a 50,660-square-foot retail store at 1523 15TH AVE W in Seattle, Washington, built in 1978. In its 2025 Seattle benchmarking disclosure it reported an ENERGY STAR score of 100 out of 100 (grade A), a site energy-use intensity of 1.0 kBtu/ft² and 0 tCO₂e of greenhouse-gas emissions. That score is higher than 92% of the 50 scored retail store buildings in Seattle.
Seattle Energy Benchmarking Ordinance (SMC 22.920) · reporting year 2025
Benchmarking record
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ENERGY STAR score | 100 (band A) |
| Site EUI | 1.0 kBtu/ft² |
| Source EUI | 2.7 kBtu/ft² |
| GHG emissions | 0 tCO₂e |
| GHG intensity | 0.0 kgCO₂e/ft² |
| Electricity | 14,283 kWh |
| Natural gas | 12 therms |
| Gross floor area | 50,660 sq ft |
| Source record | seattle:701:2025 |
The disclosure history
Year over year
| Year | Score | Δ | Site EUI | GHG emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025latest | 100 | +2 | 1.0 kBtu/ft² | 0 tCO₂e |
| 2024 | 98 | +10 | 9.2 kBtu/ft² | 9 tCO₂e |
| 2023 | 88 | +8 | 17.8 kBtu/ft² | 28 tCO₂e |
| 2022 | 80 | -8 | 21.9 kBtu/ft² | 35 tCO₂e |
| 2021 | 88 | ±0 | 16.8 kBtu/ft² | 23 tCO₂e |
| 2020 | 88 | +30 | 15.9 kBtu/ft² | 21 tCO₂e |
| 2019 | 58 | -3 | 50.9 kBtu/ft² | 62 tCO₂e |
| 2018 | 61 | +6 | 50.5 kBtu/ft² | 65 tCO₂e |
| 2017 | 55 | +4 | 56.2 kBtu/ft² | 70 tCO₂e |
| 2016 | 51 | -2 | 52.5 kBtu/ft² | 59 tCO₂e |
| 2015 | 53 | 47.3 kBtu/ft² | 44 tCO₂e |
Compliance context
Seattle Energy Benchmarking Ordinance (SMC 22.920)
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.
Ownership
No owning organisation shown. Names of private individuals in the disclosure are not published here.
Own or manage this building? Claim it to correct the record and get compliance alerts.
Location
- Address
- 1523 15TH AVE W
- City
- Seattle
- State
- Washington
- ZIP
- 98119
- Coordinates
- 47.63284, -122.37712
Within ~1 km
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See also: most efficient in Seattle · biggest emitters
How does Staples Building compare with other retail store buildings in Seattle?
The latest disclosures cover 68 retail store buildings in Seattle, out of 3,871 buildings citywide. Staples Building's ENERGY STAR score of 100 compares with an average of 73 across the 50 that report a score; it scores higher than 92% of them. Its site EUI of 1.0 kBtu/ft² is about 98% below the average of 45.9 kBtu/ft² — it uses less energy per square foot than the typical building in that group. Its emissions intensity of 0.0 kgCO₂e/ft² is about 99% below the group average of 1.1 kgCO₂e/ft².
At 50,660 sq ft, it is about 28% below the average floor area of 70,593 sq ft for those buildings. It was built in 1978, 15 years later than the group's average year built (1963). Across all 24 jurisdictions BuildingCensus covers, the 3,025 retail store buildings average an ENERGY STAR score of 73 and a site EUI of 57.7 kBtu/ft².
How has Staples Building's energy performance changed over time?
BuildingCensus holds 11 Seattle disclosures for Staples Building, covering report years 2015–2025. Its ENERGY STAR score went from 53 in 2015 to 100 in 2025 (+47 points). Site EUI moved from 47.3 kBtu/ft² (2015) to 1.0 kBtu/ft² (2025), a 98% decrease. Reported emissions went from 44 tCO₂e to 0 tCO₂e over the same span (down 99%).
What does an ENERGY STAR score of 100 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: 100 is the top of the scale. BuildingCensus bands the score into report-card grades; 100 falls in band A — high performer (85–100). Scores of 75 or higher meet the threshold for ENERGY STAR certification; certification itself is a separate, verified application that the disclosure does not record. 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. Staples Building's 1.0 kBtu/ft² across 50,660 sq ft works out to about 0.1 billion Btu (15 MWh-equivalent) in 2025. Its source EUI of 2.7 kBtu/ft² also counts the energy lost generating and delivering that power, which is why it is higher. The disclosure also reports 14,283 kWh of electricity and 12 therms of natural gas for the year.
Which law requires Staples Building to report its energy use?
Staples Building 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:701:2025). 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.
More retail store buildings in Seattle
- University Village East Bldg S· 49,965 sq ft
- Office Depot & Carpet Liquidator· 48,139 sq ft · score 99 (A)
- Ding How Shopping Center· 47,963 sq ft · score 85 (A)
- U-VILLAGE RH GALLERY· 47,406 sq ft · score 3 (D)
- Marion Building 804· 46,800 sq ft · score 87 (A)
- Petco And Others· 46,059 sq ft · score 96 (A)
- Retail Store buildings in Seattle· 68 benchmarked
- All Seattle benchmarked buildings· Seattle Energy Benchmarking Ordinance (SMC 22.920)
- Most efficient large buildings in Seattle
- Least efficient large buildings in Seattle
- Biggest emitters in Seattle
Frequently asked questions
What is Staples Building's energy grade?
Staples Building scores 100 out of 100 on ENERGY STAR — band A, high performer (85–100) — in its 2025 Seattle disclosure. Scores are national percentiles against similar buildings; 75+ qualifies for ENERGY STAR certification.
How much energy does Staples Building use?
Its 2025 site energy-use intensity was 1.0 kBtu/ft² (2.7 kBtu/ft² source) across 50,660 sq ft, including 14,283 kWh of electricity and 12 therms of natural gas.
What are Staples Building's carbon emissions?
Staples Building reported 0 tCO₂e of greenhouse-gas emissions (0.0 kgCO₂e/ft²) for 2025.
Where is Staples Building?
Staples Building is at 1523 15TH AVE W, in Seattle, Washington 98119. Its coordinates are 47.63284, -122.37712 (latitude, longitude), as published in the Building Energy Benchmarking file.
How big is Staples Building and when was it built?
Staples Building has 50,660 sq ft of gross floor area, as reported in its 2025 disclosure. The disclosure lists 1978 as its year built. It is classed as retail store.
Is Staples Building covered by the Seattle Energy Benchmarking Ordinance (SMC 22.920)?
Yes — it appears in the 2025 Building Energy Benchmarking disclosure, which lists the buildings reporting under the Seattle Energy Benchmarking Ordinance (SMC 22.920).
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About this data
Source: Building Energy Benchmarking (Seattle Energy Benchmarking Ordinance (SMC 22.920)), as published October 2, 2026. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: BuildingCensus, “Staples Building, Seattle, Washington — 2025 benchmarking disclosure”, https://buildingcensus.com/buildings/seattle/staples-building-61194a44 (data as of October 2, 2026).