Bullitt Center Far Exceeds Energy Goals in First Year of Operations

NEWS RELEASE: April 22, 2014 – Earth Day

SEATTLE – For its first birthday on Earth Day 2014, the Bullitt Center announces that it greatly exceeded its ambitious energy performance goals, even when accounting for growing occupancy over its first 12 months of operations.

Honored by World Architecture News as the “greenest commercial building in the world,” the Bullitt Center used 75 percent less energy than a new building that meets Seattle’s rigorous energy code. The building used 147,260 kWh of electricity compared to a baseline of 593,891 kWh for a similar building built to code (Source: Seattle City Light). During the same period, the Bullitt Center generated 252,560 kWh of clean, renewable energy from the solar panels on its roof.

“After seeing how the Bullitt Center performed in its first year, I’m certain we will be net positive energy, not just net zero,” said Denis Hayes, CEO of the Bullitt Foundation. “If we can do this in cloudy Seattle, owners in other cities should be embarrassed if they don’t achieve zero net energy,” he added.

The Bullitt Center was made possible by a Living Building Ordinance passed unanimously by the Seattle City Council in 2009 and by the support for innovation shown by the city’s regulatory agencies. As an expression of gratitude to Seattle and to celebrate Earth Day 2014, the Bullitt Foundation is launching free community Wi-Fi in McGilvra Place Park, adjacent to the Bullitt Center.

Highlights from the first year of operations also include:

• 85 percent of the Bullitt Center is leased and occupied by tenants, with very positive feedback about the experience of working in the building.
• World Architecture News named Bullitt Center the world’s greenest building.
• Engineering News-Record named Bullitt Center most important building of 2013.
• Bullitt Center launched a new website (www.bullittcenter.org) to easily share information with the world.
• “Red List” compliant products used in the building were made available online.
• The clock started on Living Building certification on January 1, 2014. The Bullitt Center has to demonstrate 365 continuous days of performance that meet net zero energy and water.

Free tours led by the University of Washington Center for Integrated Design are available to celebrate Earth Day. Register for tours at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/638309.

The Bullitt Center

A 50,000 square-foot commercial building at the intersection of Capitol Hill and the Central Area in Seattle, the Bullitt Center is designed, built and operated to be the world’s greenest office building. Owned by the Bullitt Foundation, the building is pursuing Living Building certification, the most rigorous benchmark of sustainability in the built environment. As a market-rate, Class-A commercial office building, the Bullitt Center was developed to show what’s possible today and to demonstrate a path forward for other real estate development projects. Hundreds of architects, developers, engineers, public officials and students from across the world have visited the building to carry lessons home to their own work. For more information visit www.bullittcenter.org.

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