We offer training and technical resources in support of the commercial provisions of the WSEC.

Scroll down to the TRAINING section for up-coming opportunities for WSEC-C education.

NEW 2025 UPDATE!! 2021 WSEC-C Additional Energy Efficiency & Load Management Credits Compliance Forms

This Excel workbook is a set of electronic forms developed to help designers calculate Required and Achieved Energy Efficiency and Load Management Credits to demonstrate compliance with the 2021 WSEC-C. Click on the title above for the latest edition of this form. Reviewing the “ReadMe” and “Using This Form” tabs in the workbook before completing the forms is recommended. Note that some inputs in the forms require supporting calculations that must be completed separately. These Excel forms and calculations are included as supporting documentation with a building permit submittal.  

Applicable provisions supported by these compliance forms include:

• Section C406.1 Additional energy efficiency and load management measures credit requirements
• Section C401.3.3 Fossil fuel compliance path - Additional efficiency credits
• Section C403.1.4 Use of electric resistance and fossil fuel-fired HVAC heating equipment
• Section C404.2.1 Service water heating system type
• Section C411 Renewable energy

 

2021 WSEC-C Building Thermal Envelope Minimum Requirements Summary

This resource summarizes the building envelope thermal performance requirements in Section C402 of the 2021 WSEC-C. It includes prescriptive opaque assembly R-values and U-factors and fenestration U-factors and solar heat gain coefficients (SHGC). It also includes envelope requirements for walk-in and warehouse coolers and freezers per Section C410, and greenhouse envelope assemblies per Section C402.1.1.3. Refer to Page 3 for a summary of applicable table footnotes.  

 

WSEC-C Commissioning Compliance Checklist

Building commissioning (Cx) is an integrated, systematic process to ensure that all building systems perform interactively, in accordance with the project design intent. Systems and equipment that require Cx in the WSEC-C include mechanical, service water heating, refrigeration, lighting controls, controlled receptacles and energy metering. For projects that require Cx, a completed Commissioning Compliance Checklist is required as supporting documentation with a building permit submittal.  

2018 WSEC-C - FIGURE C408.1.4.1 COMMISSIONING COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST

2021 WSEC-C - FIGURE C408.1.4.1 COMMISSIONING COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST

NEW RESOURCE!! Comparison of Very High Efficiency DOAS with 2021 WSEC-C DOAS Requirements

This resource from BetterBricks details the key elements that differentiate a very high efficiency dedicated outside air system (DOAS) from the more typical DOAS with heat recovery, as required by the 2021 WSEC-C. Refer to the BetterBricks website for additional information. 

 

What is Total System Performance Ratio (TSPR)?

This fact sheet provides a general overview of the purpose of this mechanical requirement and how this performance ratio is calculated. Also refer to training videos about the TSPR webtool on the On Demand Training webpage.

 

Smart Service Water Heating Circulation Pumps Fact Sheet

Service water heating circulation systems are used in commercial buildings to maintain the design supply temperature in the primary piping loop. The WSEC requires this system to have a circulation pump with controls that manage the water temperature in the circulation system and turns off the pump when there is no demand for hot water. This strategy saves energy and reduces water use by minimizing the time required for hot water to reach a fixture.

Smart circulation pumps offer a better than code strategy that simplifies installation and operation with integrated sensors, programmable control logic and ECM motors. This fact sheet provides information about this strategy and links to helpful resources. 

2021 WSEC Commercial Provisions Trainings

Effective date of the 2021 WSEC is March 15th, 2024. Refer to our Newsroom page for more information.

2025 WEBINAR SERIES

We offer virtual trainings for the convenience of the construction industry professionals we serve. Our 2025 webinar series will cover specific technical topics in the 2021 Washington State Energy Code (WSEC) commercial provisions. Funding for this webinar series is provided by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA).

 

May 28th, 2025 – 2021 WSEC Commercial Kitchen Air Systems

This webinar summarizes the requirements for commercial kitchen air systems. This includes connecting the dots between the WSEC-C and other codes that govern these systems.

Training agenda:

• Exhaust hood types and required capacity (flow rate)
• Kitchen supply & make-up air requirements
• Demand control kitchen ventilation (DCKV) systems
• Replacement air balance calculations
• Kitchen air system energy recovery

Time:  Noon - 1:15pm PDT

Click here for weblink to REGISTER for this webinar!

 

UPCOMING TRAINING SCHEDULE

June 2025 - Group R Ventilation Systems

July 2025 - Lighting Controls Systems

 

2025 WABO Annual Education Institute

March 18th, 2025 – Connecting the Dots Between the 2021 WSEC and 2021 IMC

Various provisions in the 2021 WSEC-C have corresponding requirements in the 2021 IMC. This training covered common mechanical system elements where both codes have to be considered for overall code compliance. Topics included various applications of ventilation & exhaust systems, commercial kitchen systems, duct system construction and ductwork & piping insulation. Training included information about refrigerant phasedown regulations by guest presenter Eric VanderMey.

Many thanks to everyone who participated in this training!

 

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2024 WEBINAR SERIES 

December 17th, 2024 –  2021 WSEC-C Service Water Heating Systems

This webinar provides information about the space heating provisions and applicable details about the new fossil fuel path.

Topics in this webinar will include:

• Service water heating (SWH) equipment efficiency criteria
• Prescriptive requirements for SWH equipment selection
• SWH system sizing requirements
• Supplemental SWH allowances and requirements
• Domestic hot water temp maintenance – circulation & heat trace systems
• Domestic hot water piping insulation
• Demand responsive water heating controls
• Alterations to SWH systems in existing buildings

October 30th, 2024 –  2021 WSEC-C Multifamily Buildings

This webinar summarizes key changes and new requirements in the 2021 WSEC-C that apply to multifamily (Group R-2) buildings. 

Topics in this webinar will include:

• Scope changes in the new residential building definition
• Differences between 2021 WSEC-C and WSEC-R thermal envelope requirements
• Thermal envelope requirements for decks & balconies
• Air barrier testing criteria
• Service water heating systems & equipment that are common in multifamily buildings
• HVAC systems & equipment that are common in multifamily buildings
• Ventilation requirements for dwelling units & common core areas
• Summary of additional energy efficiency & load management measures applicable to multifamily

October 2nd, 2024 –  2021 WSEC-C Additional Energy Efficiency and Load Management

This webinar provides information about the additional energy efficiency, load management and related renewable energy provisions. It also covers the additional credit requirements for the fossil fuel path.

Topics in this webinar include:

• Efficiency measure and load management measure credits required by occupancy & project type
• Credit requirements for existing building alterations
• Additional efficiency credits required for the fossil fuel compliance path
• Summary of additional energy efficiency measures (AEM) and load management measures (LMM)
• Credit requirements for tenant spaces (initial TI)
• Discrete area weighting of credits by occupancy group
• Correlation between renewable energy prescriptive requirements and energy efficiency measure requirements

July 31st, 2024 – 2021 WSEC-C Mechanical Systems - Space Heating Updates

This webinar provides information about the space heating provisions and applicable details about the new fossil fuel path.

Topics in this webinar include:

• Prescriptive space heating requirements
• Exceptions for space heating using electric resistance and fossil fuels
• Supplemental heating in heat pump systems
• Supplemental heating in dedicated outdoor air systems
• Fossil fuel primary space heating alternative compliance path
• Space heating requirements in low-energy and semi-heated spaces
• Alterations to space heating systems in existing buildings

Missed these webinars? Go to the On Demand Training page to watch the videos and view the slide presentations.

 

2024 WABO Annual Education Institute

March 25th, 2024 – What is this thing? Identifying Common Mechanical System Components In Commercial Buildings

• How to identify mechanical systems and components that are commonly used in commercial buildings for heating, cooling and ventilation, and the 2021 WSEC requirements that apply to them.

March 23rd, 2024 – Multifamily Mash-up - 2021 WSEC Commercial & Residential Comparison

• Commercial and residential energy code experts will provide a summary of requirements that apply specifically to multifamily buildings. 

Many thanks to everyone who participated in these trainings!

 

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2023 WEBINAR SERIES 

2021 WSEC-C Solar Readiness & Renewable Energy Systems

Key Topics:

• On-site renewable energy system requirements and exceptions
• Qualifying types of off-site renewable energy systems
• Documentation requirements for off-site renewable energy systems
• Solar readiness, designated solar zones and exceptions
• Solar zone structural integrity and photovoltaic interconnection requirements
• Additional efficiency measures for on-site & off-site renewable energy systems

2021 WSEC-C Envelope & Air Barrier Provisions

Key Topics:

• Opaque assembly thermal performance updates
• Requirements for decks, balconies & mass transfer deck slabs
• Fenestration performance updates
• U-factor requirement for mech equipment thru-wall penetrations
• Building enclosure air leakage test procedures
• Updates to residential building definition

2021 WSEC-C Mechanical Systems, Part 2

Key topics:

• Updates to economizer exceptions
• Changes to demand responsive controls provisions including ventilation (DCV)
• Scope update to HVAC door switch interlock controls requirement
• Changes to heated & chilled water distribution system design criteria
• Summary of mechanical additional energy efficiency & load management measures

2021 WSEC-C Mechanical Systems - Part 1

Key topics:

• Expanded scope for the TSPR requirement and updates to exceptions
• Updates to the equipment minimum efficiency tables
• DOAS energy recovery efficiency, fan power and supply air tempering
• Balanced ventilation and heat recovery requirements for Group R-2 occupancy
• Changes to the fan power allowance criteria

Missed these webinars? Go to the On Demand Training page to view all of our training videos about the 2021 WSEC-C.

 

2023 AIA NWW: WSEC-C CHANGES & RESOURCES

This webinar for architects provided information about key requirements in the 2021 WSEC-C and helpful resources available to assist architects with energy code compliance documentation. This event was hosted by AIA NWW and AIA Seattle who are providing CEUs. If you attended this training, contact AIA NWW for question about receiving CEUs nwwadministrator@aiaseattle.org.

NOTE TO PARTICIPANTS - This slide presentation is available on the On Demand Training page. Content on topics that are anticipated to be impacted by recent SBCC activities has been removed.