Find the ideal strategy to maximize performance
Our Existing Building Commissioning (EBCx) program offers training and incentives to help you maximize energy-saving potential within your building’s existing systems. With no major capital expense, the program can help you achieve as much as 15% energy savings or greater. Plus, our incentives can cover a majority of your implementation costs.
What you get
If you qualify for our EBCx program, you’ll receive:
- Initial assessment of your site's energy usage and opportunities prior to full program commitment.
- A comprehensive on-site review of your facility's systems once committed.
- Recommendations for low- and no-cost operational and maintenance (O&M) improvements.
- Identified capital projects, including energy-efficiency upgrades.
- Training for O&M staff to identify, track and maintain energy savings.
- A comprehensive facility guide documenting how to operate your building efficiently and maintain realized energy savings.
Assessment Incentive
After the building assessment has been completed, and the report has been delivered to PSE, you will receive the assessment Incentive using the rates listed for your specific customer type.
$5,000$4,000$2,000
$1,000
100% ofcommissioning provider’s fee
If the initial assessment finds that your building will not benefit from commissioning or further program participation, you will still be compensated for your assessment fee up to the value listed above for your customer type.
Implementation Incentive
Once the commissioning process has been implemented with all required training and documentation provided, you’ll receive the implementation incentive. This incentive is provided for the successful completion of the commissioning process and is not tied to how well the building has performed up to this point.
$0.35 per sq. ft.$0.25 per sq. ft.$0.15 per sq. ft.$0.10 per sq. ft.75% ofcommissioning provider’s fee
First-year performance incentive
Once the building maintains efficient operation for one year after receiving the implementation incentive, earn an additional incentive if you’ve reached the 6% savings target. Most projects see a 60%–70% reimbursement of eligible project costs, including commissioning and improvement investments.
You also have the option to implement monitor-based commissioning measures (read more here), which would qualify for a second-year performance incentive at the rates listed below.
$0.05 per kWh saved$0.80 per therm saved100% ofeligible project costs*
*The maximum total incentive is 100% of eligible project costs for those projects realizing exceptional energy savings. Most projects receive total incentives covering 60%–70% of eligible project costs. Eligible project costs include commissioning provider’s fee, cost of operational improvement(s) and/or energy-efficiency upgrades.
How you qualify
With our wide variety of energy-efficiency programs to choose from, it’s important to pick the one most suited for your building and your specific needs. Considering the unique characteristics of all buildings and the benefits of the EBCx program, we’ve identified and listed below the most helpful criteria to identify your building’s potential for EBCx.
- Building has 50,000 or more square feet of conditioned space.
- Building is at least 75% occupied.
- Building is managed by automated controls.
- Energy use is higher than expected and/or trending upward.
- Maintenance has been deferred to some extent.
- Building O&M staff desires efficiency training.
Is your building in the City of Seattle? Our EBCx program is an alternate pathway for compliance for the Building Tune-Ups Ordinance. Learn more about the City of Seattle's requirements.
Commitments
For you to enjoy the benefits of a successful EBCx project, it’s necessary to commit to the process and requirements prior to beginning. The factors most associated with a successful project include:
- Management commitment
- Dedicated staff time
- Implementation of identified opportunities*
*The customer is only required to implement measures that have a two-year (or less) simple payback with a total implementation cost of no more than the following for each type of customer: $0.15 per square foot for dual-fuel customers, $0.10 per square foot for electric-only customers, and $0.10 per square foot for gas-only customers.
How you apply
To get pre-approved for the EBCx program, complete the online custom grant application.
Additional information
Find a commissioning professional
All of PSE’s commissioning programs require a minimum level of experience in addition to a high-level understanding of building energy systems. Successful providers have strong interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to investigate, implement and verify energy-efficiency opportunities.
PSE maintains an updated list of commissioning professionals who are pre-qualified to participate in all of PSE’s commissioning programs. We encourage you to find a professional from that list. If you have a person you wish to use that is not pre-approved, you can submit the commissioning professional application to receive pre-approval.
Watch this video to learn more
Hear from Jason Hyatt, our commissioning program manager, to learn more about our three commissioning programs and how they can help you. This video is a recording of a Coffee and Conversation virtual event from March 2023.
For personalized advice, contact an Energy Advisor.
Or call 1-800-562-1482.
Bellevue Arts Museum: Read about the opportunities found through EBCx in a complex, multiuse building with critical HVAC needs.
Westin Hotel: Learn how EBCx helped the Westin Hotel meet their sustainability goals through operational fine tuning.
Overlake Hospital: With the help of EBCx, Overlake Hospital navigated diverse space needs and the complex system of a 24/7/365 campus.