Incentives and Assistance
A variety of incentive programs and assistance options for commercial projects is available, but not all may apply to your project. The offerings featured below are designed to help you:
- Increase Construction Recycling & Reuse Materials
- Maximize Energy Efficiency
- Conserve Water
- Protect Site & Restore Urban Forests
- Preserve Historic Buildings
Be sure to also take advantage of the following resources:
- Resource Venture - makes environmental responsibility easy, practical and cost-effective through free information and technical assistance
- BetterBricks - helps professionals use energy efficiency strategies to achieve sustainable high-performance buildings
Increase Construction Recycling & Reuse Materials
Our region's strong infrastructure for reusing and recycling allows construction projects to recycle more than 75% of their waste. Learn how to increase your recycling rate--both during construction and when your building is occupied--and get recognized for it:
- "Construction Works" Program: Free assistance and recognition for builders who recycle, reduce waste and use recycled-content building materials
- Waste Prevention & Recycling: How to get started
- Construction Waste Management
- Deconstruction: Systematic disassembly of a building as a complement to demolition
- Seattle Public Utilities Commercial Recycling: Program website and contact information
Find recycled-content products and materials with help from:
- Resource Venture: Guide to buying recycled products
You can also re-use building materials--cabinets, doors, glass, hardware/fixtures, insulation, paint and much more--and exchange these items online with the:
Seattle City Light energy conservation programs range from rebates for conservation to strategies and technologies that will help you reduce energy use and optimize your building's performance.
- Energy Smart Services: Offers financial incentives to help medium and large businesses reduce electricity use and save money. Incentives shorten the payback on your energy efficiency investments and help improve your company's bottom line. Incentive amounts can range as high as 70% of the installation cost, and are based on energy savings. Financial Incentives, Energy Analysis Assistance and Commissioning Services work together to incorporate energy efficiency and a superior indoor environment into your building from the beginning of the design process.
- Facility Assessment Audit (for large and medium-size commercial and industrial customers): Supporting your efforts to be profitable, this free program offers assessment audit services for your facility. It is designed to help you monitor, manage and control your electricity and other utility costs, and improve your operating efficiencies. City Light's energy management professionals will assess your facility's resource and operation efficiencies, identify efficiency improvement opportunities, and align utility services to support your business objectives. City Light has helped customers reduce operating costs by $8 million over the past five years.
- Smart Business Program (for small business): Provides financial incentives to your small business for replacing existing inefficient lighting with approved energy efficient lighting equipment. Rebates range from $25-$65 per fixture for replacing existing lamps or fixtures with new efficient ones.
- Lighting Design Lab's energy efficient lighting design assistance: Provides free design assistance and access to lighting resources. The Lab also has an in-house library and offers occasional seminars.
- Federal Tax Deductions - Commercial Energy Efficiency Incentives: New commercial buildings or reconstructed buildings that achieve a 50% reduction in energy use qualify for a range of tax deductions up to $1.80 per square foot. Partial deductions are also available for lighting, HVAC and building envelope improvements.
- Green Power Options: Offers two ways to increase the supply of renewable energy or "green power" by increasing demand for renewable energy resources in the Northwest, including wind and solar. Options include:
- Buying green power for a portion of your electricity through the Green-up Program.
- Paying a little more on your bill to support renewable energy demonstrations, including local solar electricity projects, through the Green Power Program.
Enhance productivity and see substantial savings on your utility bills with Water Smart Technology Program, a water conservation program for regional commercial, industrial and institutional customers. Brought to you by local water providers in the Saving Water Partnership, including Seattle Public Utilities, the program provides financial assistance for both technical studies and project installation that makes it cost-effective to realize the benefits of water-efficient technologies. It offers an array of financial incentives for qualified water conservation projects completed by small and large businesses alike, which often reduce participant paybacks from over three years to two years or less. The program also offers technical information on water-efficient technologies, bill analysis, on-site water audits, life cycle cost analysis, free brochures and speaking engagements on water conservation, water-efficient irrigation information, and end-use metering.
The Saving Water Partnership, sponsored by a consortium of 18 local water utilities, provides education and resources for saving water and lowering utility bills.
Protect Site & Restore Urban Forests
Financial assistance and resources to help you protect or enhance the local watershed, salmon habitat and urban forest, plus technical assistance for better landscape design and maintenance choices:
- King County Department of Natural Resources
- Seattle Public Utilities Conservation Programs
- WaterWorks Grants: Up to $50,000 in grant funds available to community projects that protect or improve watersheds, streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands and tidewater in King County.
- Wild Places in City Spaces: Grants available to volunteer groups, nonprofits, and government agencies for reforestation activities within King County's Urban Growth Boundary.
- Natural Landscaping Site and Landscape Technical Assistance: Technical assistance available to commercial customers of Seattle Public Utilities.
- Department of Neighborhoods Tree Fund
- Community Salmon Fund: Competitive funds for projects that support habitat protection and restoration aimed at salmon recovery in the Central Puget Sound Region.
- Community Environmental Grants: Matching funds and technical assistance available to eligible community projects highlighting environmental protection/restoration and environmental justice, from the Puget Sound Urban Resources Partnership.
- Funding Sources for Watershed Stewardship Projects: A list maintained by King County with some sources of funding for site enhancements resulting in watershed protection.
Preserve the character and architecture of historic buildings with financial assistance and resources from:
If you have questions about the green building resources listed above or need clarification for your project, contact Sandra Mallory at 206.615.0731 or via email at Sandra.Mallory@seattle.gov.
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