Washington State Energy Program

The Washington State University (WSU) Energy Program helps ensure that homes and buildings in Washington are built to meet the state’s energy efficiency standards. These standards are part of the Washington State Energy Code (WSEC), which sets minimum requirements for how energy-efficient a building must be.

To make this process easier, WSU provides a set of forms, worksheets, and tools that builders, designers, and inspectors use during construction. These documents help show that a home or building meets the required standards for things like insulation, windows, heating systems, and air sealing.

What This Means for Homeowners

If you’re building a new home or doing a major remodel, your project will likely need to meet the Washington State Energy Code. The WSU Energy Program helps guide that process by:

• Providing standardized forms used to document energy features in your home

• Helping verify that insulation, windows, and systems meet required efficiency levels

• Supporting blower door testing to measure how airtight your home is

• Ensuring proper ventilation for healthy indoor air quality

• Offering guidance to builders and professionals to avoid costly mistakes

How Compliance Works

Most homes follow what’s called the prescriptive path, which means meeting specific minimum requirements for each part of the building such as insulation levels, window performance, and heating efficiency. These requirements are documented using WSU forms and submitted during permitting and inspection to show compliance with the energy code.

The Washington State Energy Code and the WSU Energy Program ensures that homes are:

• More energy efficient

• More comfortable year-round

• Better protected against moisture and air leakage

• Less expensive to heat and cool

• Built to modern performance standards