2006 Washington State Energy Code (WSEC)

The Washington State Energy Code (Chapter 51-11 WAC) is adopted by the Washington State Building Code Council pursuant to Chapter 19.27A.020. This code provides a minimum level of energy efficiency, but allows flexibility in building design, construction and heating equipment efficiencies. The design of this code allows space heating equipment efficiencies to offset or substitute for building envelope thermal performance.

The 2006 Washington State Energy Code was adopted in November of 2006 and made effective July 1, 2007. For low-rise residential construction, its stringency exceeds the 2006 IECC standards. For high-rise residential construction (four stories or more), the WSEC is more stringent than ASHRAE 90.1-2007 in all respects. For commercial buildings, the WSEC is roughly equivalent to ASHRAE 90.1-2004, save for equipment and lighting standards, which are somewhat more stringent.

Exempt Buildings:

• Buildings and structures or portions thereof whose peak design rate of energy usage is less than 3.4 Btu/h per ft2 or 1.0 watt per ft² of floor area for space conditioning requirements.
• Buildings and structures or portions thereof which are neither heated according to the  definition of heated space in Chapter 2, nor cooled by a non-renewable energy source, provided that the non-renewable energy use for space conditioning complies with requirements of Section 101.3.1.1.
• Greenhouses isolated from any conditioned space and not intended for occupancy.

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On October 15, 2010, the State Building Code Council (SBCC) voted to set the implementation date of the 2009 Washington State Energy Code (WSEC) for January 1, 2011. The Council will consider additional amendments on residential duct testing at their next meeting on November 19.

Originally scheduled to take effect July 1, 2010, a lawsuit  filed in May and a request to delay by the Governor and others in June led the SBCC to temporarily delay the implementation date on June 11. On July 7, the SBCC filed a proposed rule with an intended date of adoption at its regularly scheduled meeting on October 15. Public hearings were held September 10 and September 24. 

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