Seattle Building & Energy Portal

Getting started using the Building & Energy Portal to complete 2025 data reporting is easy; just follow these steps: 

For Building Owners:

1. Register to create an account. Then watch the tutorial video once you're logged in and your account is activated. See Tip Sheet 1A: Getting Started – Building Owners for further instructions.  

2. Start the claim a building process to set up your buildings in the Portal. See Tip Sheet 2: Claim Buildings for more instructions, including how to request your building claim code if you have not received one.  

3. Review and confirm:  

• • The existing ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® (ESPM) account is linked to your buildings in the Portal and sharing data with the City of Seattle. 
  • The building summary information for your claimed buildings are under the My Buildings tab in the Portal. Contact the help desk if the information is incorrect.   

4. If applicable, add other users to your claimed buildings in your Portal account who may assist you in energy benchmarking compliance, such as property managers or reporting consultants. See Tip Sheet 3: Adding Users and Account User Roles and Permissions for more instructions. 

Once buildings are claimed and ESPM accounts are correctly linked, the final step of submitting the benchmarking report for 2025 data can be started on the building summary page in the Portal. This step can be completed by the building owner or by reporting consultants after the owner has provided access to the building in their Portal account. See Tip Sheet 4: Changes to Benchmarking for further instructions.  

For Team Members:  

If you are a property manager or reporting consultant (benchmarking service provider) that has been hired by the building owner to support compliance for annual energy benchmarking, first register and create your Portal account, then coordinate with the building owner to be added to the specific buildings you work on. See Tip Sheet 1B: Getting Started – Team Members for further instructions.  

Once you have been added to the owner's claimed buildings and primary account, you may proceed to submit the benchmarking report for 2025 data if applicable.  

For BEPS Qualified Persons:  

Individuals who meet the requirements to be BEPS Qualified Person who will conduct BEPS Benchmarking Verification, the GHG Report and other BEPS compliance reporting must wait to register and create accounts until the BEPS components are available in the Portal in early 2027.

Qualified Persons will have a distinct registration and application process with specific roles and permissions. Technical guidance will be available fall 2026 to get started on the Benchmarking Verification and GHG Report process, which does not require accounts in the Portal.  

The following resources will help users learn how to use the Seattle Building & Energy Portal to create accounts, invite users, manage teams and buildings, use the new support ticket system, and submit compliance reports and forms for Seattle building energy laws.  

User Guides

Seattle Building & Energy Portal User Manual is a comprehensive reference guide for key portal features. This guide covers more details of portal processes than TIP sheets below. It is best used after users initially set up their new accounts in the portal.    

Account User Roles and Permissions provides in-depth information for building owners or primary account holders on how to add users to portal accounts and set user permissions based on the work the different users will do on behalf of the building.  

Tip Sheets 

Tip Sheet 1A: Getting Started Building Owners provides instructions to register and set up new accounts with appropriate permission levels for additional users based on what functions they will need to do in the Portal.

Tip Sheet 1B: Getting Started - Team Members provides instructions for reporting consultants and building owners' representatives to register, create their own individual account, and join a building owner's team, supporting compliance reporting for Seattle’s building performance laws.  

Tip Sheet 2: Claiming Buildings provides instructions to claim buildings in the Portal. This process must be completed by building owners or entities who have full authority to manage compliance reporting and Portal accounts for both annual energy benchmarking and BEPS. 

Tip Sheet 3: Adding Account Users provides instructions for primary building owner account holders to add and invite additional members to their team and set permissions based on their role and compliance reporting tasks they will complete in the Portal.  

Tip Sheet 4: Changes to Benchmarking Compliance Process provides guidance on changes to the annual Energy Benchmarking compliance process. Additional steps are now required annually, and you will complete them within the portal. This guide explains those steps. 

Instructional Videos  

Coming soon: Self-guided training videos on getting started with the portal and submitting Energy Benchmarking reports under the new compliance process are coming soon! 

Virtual Trainings  

OSE will host virtual training for new Portal users starting in fall 2026 to help building owners and building owner representatives get started in the new Portal to be prepared for 2027 compliance deadlines. Sign up for the Benchmarking, BEPS, and Tune-Ups newsletter for updates when the registrations for the virtual training will be available.  

Is ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® (ESPM) still required for annual reporting? 

Yes. ESPM is still required to collect and report building data, use attributes, and whole building energy consumption. Building owners and their representatives must continue to complete steps 1–6 of the benchmarking process in ESPM, as outlined in the Seattle Energy Benchmarking How-to Guide. This ensures the account has complete, accurate data for the required reporting year and is shared with the City of Seattle. Once you ensure ESPM data for the required reporting year is accurate and shared with the City, you will then use the Portal to submit the annual report.   
  
How are ESPM accounts connected to the new portal? 

ESPM accounts are linked to the Seattle Building & Energy Portal by sharing the property(s) with the City of Seattle and entering the OSE Building ID when prompted during the share process. Once building owners claim a building in the Portal, they can see which ESPM account is actively connected to their buildings. Account holders can remove connected ESPM accounts within the Portal as needed, making it easy for you to manage access and reporting across multiple buildings. 

How will building owners receive their claim code? 

Claim codes will be sent to building owners through mailed notification letters to the contact of record. Buildings will be phased into the new Portal, starting with buildings that did not submit a 2025 benchmarking report by June 1, 2026.  Building owners that have already submitted a 2025 benchmarking report and achieved compliance can expect to receive their custom access codes in late fall 2026 to get ready for the 2027 benchmarking deadline. If you own a covered building, check your mail for a notification from the City of Seattle containing your claim code. If you are unable to locate your claim code or need access to the Portal sooner, submit a Support Ticket to the help desk within the Portal.   
  
How does a benchmarking service provider get access to complete reporting on behalf of an owner? 

If you are a benchmarking service provider hired to benchmark a building, the building owner or manager must first create a Portal account, claim the building, and then add you as a member of that building. Service providers cannot independently claim a building and set up accounts for building owners the way they traditionally do for ESPM or enrolling in Puget Sound Energy or Seattle City Light utility data exchange services. Access must be granted by the owner or manager. The City of Seattle will host trainings for service providers to orient them to the new system and how the Portal works as part of this change to the current process. If you are interested in joining an early adopter training email buildingenergy@seattle.gov.   

What should I do if I am having trouble connecting to or logging into the Portal? 

If you are having trouble connecting your Building & Energy Portal paccount to your ESPM account, please ensure that the correct OSE Building ID was entered when prompted during the sharing process. If you are still having issues, please contact the help desk at buildingenergy@seattle.gov to schedule a one-on-one call to troubleshoot the issue. If you have issues registering or logging into the Portal, please submit a ticket from the log-in page on the Portal – no registration required.   

Is the support ticketing system the only way to contact the help desk? 

No. The ticketing system is a new, additional way to contact the help desk. It provides a convenient, trackable option for users who prefer to manage their requests and inquiries directly within the Portal or who want to link tickets to specific buildings in their Portal accounts. You can still contact the help desk by emailing buildingenergy@seattle.gov or calling (206) 727-8484 to leave a voicemail.  All inquiries will be responded to within 3-5 business days. It is recommended to only use one support channel at a time to ensure a timely response to your inquiry.  

Can I get one-on-one help learning how to use the Portal?

Yes. You can contact the help desk to schedule a one-on-one support session. Reach out by submitting a support ticket through the Portal, by emailing buildingenergy@seattle.gov or calling (206) 727-8484 to leave a voicemail.  A new self-scheduling tool will be available for customers to schedule their own one-on-one appointments with help desk staff later this year.  

Will there be live training sessions for Portal users? 

Yes. Public user training sessions are planned for fall 2026. Details on dates, content and registration will be posted to this page and communicated to owners and representatives once finalized.  

Is there a public tool to look up a building's compliance status without logging in? 

Yes. A public-facing Look-Up Tool and Building Map are available on the City of Seattle website and display compliance status for covered buildings — no login or account required. These tools replace the existing compliance map and compliance portal.  

How do I apply for an exemption from Benchmarking or BEPS requirements? 

Users can now use the Portal to apply for a permanent benchmarking exemption due to building use, size, or completed demolition, as well a one-year vacancy benchmarking exemption. Once logged into the Portal:

• Navigate to the My Buildings page using the left panel.
• In the Actions column, select the three small dots on the row of the applicable building.
• On the dropdown list, choose the relevant Exemption Type to access the form.
• Complete all required fields in the form, upload required supporting documentation, then digitally sign and submit the form to the compliance team for review.

BEPS exemption and extension applications will not be available in the Portal until BEPS features launch in early 2027.