The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) contracted with Cadmus to conduct the Washington 2015 Commercial Construction Code Evaluation Study to assess the ways in which commercial new construction across Washington is being affected by current (2015) commercial code, as well as to estimate these buildings’ energy performance. The research team conducted site visits (virtual or in-person) to 76 Washington commercial buildings between August 2019 and July 2021, including a cross-section of building sizes and use types.
Analysis of the data generated through these site visits offers insights into which building systems are present, what compliance paths are being selected, and which code requirements are and are not typically being met in the construction of new commercial buildings in Washington state. In addition, the study provides information intended to assist with code development and implementation efforts (education and training) and to offer guidance in targeting regional energy efficiency work in the commercial new construction sector.
The Washington Commercial New Construction Code Evaluation report was updated in January 2023 with results of the billing data analysis, which was conducted from July to November 2022. A brief memo summarizing the methods and key findings of this analysis can be found in Appendix E.
