SENATE BILL REPORT

                            HB 2812

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON ENERGY & UTILITIES, FEBRUARY 21, 1994

Brief Description:  Revising provisions insuring energy conservation in design of public buildings.

SPONSORS: Representatives Bray, Caver, Romero, Reams and Ballard; by request of Department of General Administration

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY & UTILITIES

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY & UTILITIES

Majority Report:  Do pass. 

     Signed by Senators Sutherland, Chairman; Ludwig, Vice Chairman; Amondson, Hochstatter, Owen, Roach and Williams.

Staff:  Jeff Baird (786‑7444)

Hearing Dates: February 21, 1994

BACKGROUND:

Existing law requires life-cycle cost analyses for major public building construction and renovation.

Life-cycle cost analyses considers the whole lifetime of facilities.  One guiding factor in establishing this requirement was that energy conservation and renewable energy equipment use might be more costly initially, but save money over the life of facilities.

Major facilities are specified as 25,000 or more square feet of usable floor space.

This statute has been interpreted to require a "full" life-cycle cost analysis regardless of the size of the facility so long as it exceeds 25,000 square feet.  A "full" analysis may be more than necessary in order to make sound decisions in the case of some modest facilities near in size to the definitional minimum.  A new state commercial building energy code becomes effective in April of this year.  The code requires energy efficiency measures that meet or exceed those which would be indicated in life-cycle cost analyses.

Statutory provision for simplified analytical methods for selected facilities could result in time and cost savings.

SUMMARY:

"Selected buildings" and "design standards" are defined.

The State Energy Office shall develop guidelines which identify simplified methods to assure the lowest life-cycle cost alternatives for selected buildings with between 25,000 and 100,000 square feet of usable floor area.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  available

TESTIMONY FOR:

This is a cost savings measure that streamlines the way the State Energy Office evaluates a variety of public buildings, particularly school buildings, which most commonly fall into the 25,000 to 100,000 square feet category.  This bill reduces the extent of scrutiny applied by the Energy Office and so saves money without reducing accuracy of assessments.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  PRO:  Fred King, General Administration; George Caan, WA State Energy Office