RCW 19.27A.200 State energy performance standard—Definitions.

The definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 19.27A.210, 19.27A.220, 19.27A.230, and 19.27A.240 unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Agricultural structure" means a structure designed and constructed to house farm implements, hay, grain, poultry, livestock, or other horticultural products, and that is not a place used by the public or a place of human habitation or employment where agricultural products are processed, treated, or packaged.

(2) "Baseline energy use intensity" means a building's weather normalized energy use intensity measured the previous year to making an application for an incentive under RCW 19.27A.220.

(3) "Building owner" means an individual or entity possessing title to a building.

(4) "Building tenant" means a person or entity occupying or holding possession of a building or premises pursuant to a rental agreement.

(5) "Conditional compliance" means a temporary compliance method used by building owners that demonstrate the owner has implemented energy use reduction strategies required by the standard, but has not demonstrated full compliance with the energy use intensity target.

(6) "Consumer-owned utility" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 19.27A.140.

(7) "Covered commercial building" means a building where the sum of nonresidential, hotel, motel, and dormitory floor areas exceeds fifty thousand gross square feet, excluding the parking garage area.

(8) "Department" means the department of commerce.

(9) "Director" means the director of the department of commerce or the director's designee.

(10) "Electric utility" means a consumer-owned utility or an investor-owned utility.

(11) "Eligible building owner" means: (a) The owner of a covered commercial building required to comply with the standard established in RCW 19.27A.210; or (b) the owner of a multifamily residential building where the floor area exceeds fifty thousand gross square feet, excluding the parking garage area.

(12) "Energy" includes: Electricity, including electricity delivered through the electric grid and electricity generated at the building premises using solar or wind energy resources; natural gas; district steam; district hot water; district chilled water; propane; fuel oil; wood; coal; or other fuels used to meet the energy loads of a building.

(13) "Energy use intensity" means a measurement that normalizes a building's site energy use relative to its size. A building's energy use intensity is calculated by dividing the total net energy consumed in one year by the gross floor area of the building, excluding the parking garage. "Energy use intensity" is reported as a value of thousand British thermal units per square foot per year.

(14) "Energy use intensity target" means the net energy use intensity of a covered commercial building that has been established for the purposes of complying with the standard established under RCW 19.27A.210.

(15) "Gas company" includes every corporation, company, association, joint stock association, partnership, and person, their lessees, trustees, or receiver appointed by any court whatsoever, and every city or town owning, controlling, operating, or managing any gas plant within this state.

(16) "Greenhouse gas" includes carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.

(17)(a) "Gross floor area" means the total number of square feet measured between the exterior surfaces of the enclosing fixed walls of a building, including all supporting functions such as offices, lobbies, restrooms, equipment storage areas, mechanical rooms, break rooms, and elevator shafts.

(b) "Gross floor area" does not include outside bays or docks.

(18) "Investor-owned utility" means a company owned by investors, that meets one of the definitions of RCW 80.04.010, and that is engaged in distributing electricity to more than one retail electric customer in the state.

(19) "Multifamily residential building" means a building containing sleeping units or more than two dwelling units where occupants are primarily permanent in nature.

(20) "Net energy use" means the sum of metered and bulk fuel energy entering the building, minus the sum of metered energy leaving the building.

(21) "Qualifying utility" means a consumer-owned or investor-owned gas or electric utility that serves more than twenty-five thousand customers in the state of Washington.

(22) "Savings-to-investment ratio" means the ratio of the total present value savings to the total present value costs of a bundle of an energy or water conservation measure estimated over the projected useful life of each measure. The numerator of the ratio is the present value of net savings in energy or water and nonfuel or nonwater operation and maintenance costs attributable to the proposed energy or water conservation measure. The denominator of the ratio is the present value of the net increase in investment and replacement costs less salvage value attributable to the proposed energy or water conservation measure.

(23) "Standard" means the state energy performance standard for covered commercial buildings established under RCW 19.27A.210.

(24) "Thermal energy company" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 80.04.550.

(25) "Weather normalized" means a method for modifying the measured building energy use in a specific weather year to energy use under normal weather conditions.

[ 2019 c 285 § 2.]

NOTES:

Finding—Intent—2019 c 285: See note following RCW 19.27A.210.