Tower 12, 2015 2ND AVE

How does Tower 12, 2015 2ND AVE compare with other multifamily housing buildings in Seattle?

The latest disclosures cover 1,971 multifamily housing buildings in Seattle, out of 3,871 buildings citywide. Tower 12, 2015 2ND AVE's ENERGY STAR score of 71 compares with an average of 83 across the 1,652 that report a score; it scores higher than 19% of them and lower than 80%. Its site EUI of 47.3 kBtu/ft² is about 36% above the average of 34.9 kBtu/ft² — it uses more energy per square foot than the typical building in that group. Its emissions intensity of 1.4 kgCO₂e/ft² is about twice the group average of 0.7 kgCO₂e/ft².

At 539,039 sq ft, it is about 523% above the average floor area of 86,468 sq ft for those buildings. It was built in 2016, 33 years later than the group's average year built (1983). Across all 24 jurisdictions BuildingCensus covers, the 59,945 multifamily housing buildings average an ENERGY STAR score of 70 and a site EUI of 59.0 kBtu/ft².

How has Tower 12, 2015 2ND AVE's energy performance changed over time?

BuildingCensus holds 8 Seattle disclosures for Tower 12, 2015 2ND AVE, covering report years 2018–2025. Its ENERGY STAR score went from 92 in 2018 to 71 in 2025 (-21 points); its best year on file was 2018, at 92. Site EUI moved from 36.0 kBtu/ft² (2018) to 47.3 kBtu/ft² (2025), an 31% increase. Reported emissions went from 395 tCO₂e to 570 tCO₂e over the same span (up 44%).

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. Tower 12, 2015 2ND AVE's 47.3 kBtu/ft² across 539,039 sq ft works out to about 25.5 billion Btu (7,472 MWh-equivalent) in 2025. Its source EUI of 91.5 kBtu/ft² also counts the energy lost generating and delivering that power, which is why it is higher. The disclosure also reports 2,882,444 kWh of electricity and 96,882 therms of natural gas for the year.

Which law requires Tower 12, 2015 2ND AVE to report its energy use?

Tower 12, 2015 2ND AVE 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:50285:2025). 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.