Washington State Law now requires buildings to provide their efficiency ratings. Do you know your rating?

2. Our legislature believes energy efficiency is the cheapest, quickest and cleanest way to
meet rising energy needs, confront climate change and boost our economy. More
than 30% of Washington's greenhouse-gas emissions come from energy use in
buildings. Making homes, businesses and public institutions more energy efficient
will save money, create good local jobs, enhance energy security, slash global-
warming pollution and speed economic recovery while reducing the need to invest in
costly new generation.
Washington can spur its economy and assert its regional and national clean-energy
leadership by putting efficiency first. The Efficiency First legislation will implement
the Climate Action Team's top recommendations by:
 Promoting super-efficient, low-energy-use building codes.
 Requiring disclosure of buildings' energy use scores to prospective buyers.
(similar to a vehicle's MPG rating)
 Making our public buildings models of energy efficiency.

3. Build super-efficient, low-energy-use buildings.
Advanced design and new technologies can make new buildings far more energy efficient
than existing ones. The legislation shall direct the State Building Code Council to steadily
strengthen its codes, resulting in construction standards for super-efficient buildings that
use on-site renewable resources to produce much of their own power.
Require energy-use performance scores and disclosure for residential, commercial and
public buildings.
Lack of information about existing buildings' energy use hinders attempts to improve their
energy efficiency. Washington will require residential, commercial, and public building
owners/managers to develop annual energy-use scores for buildings and to disclose the
data to prospective buyers, renters, lessees or lenders. Energy audits and cost-effective
improvements will be required on underperforming public buildings.

4. Commercial Building Benchmarking
Non-public, non-residential building performance data must be uploaded to the
EPA through their Portfolio Manager website either in 2011 or 2012, depending on
the size of the facility. All buildings over 50,000 square feet will be required by
January 1, 2011 and any nonresidential building over 10,000 square feet by January
1, 2012.
Public Buildings
Establishes performance standards, benchmarking, and other reporting
requirements for public buildings. Any reporting public facility with a National
Energy Performance Rating score below 50 must undertake a preliminary energy
audit by July 1, 2011. If potential cost-effective energy savings are identified, an
investment grade energy audit must be completed by July 1, 2013, with
implementation of the cost-effective energy conservation measures by July 1, 2016.
Leased Public Buildings
A qualifying public agency may not enter into a new lease or a lease renewal on or
after January 1, 2010 for a facility with a National Energy Performance Rating score
below 75, unless: (1) a preliminary energy audit has been conducted within the last
two years; and (2) the owner or lessor agrees to perform an investment grade audit
and implement any cost effective energy conservation measures within the first
two years of the lease agreement, if such measures are identified in the preliminary
audit.

6. Is 10 MPG high or low for an automobile?
Is 65.7 kBtu/sf/yr high or low for a building?