NCW Libraries Achieves Early Tier 2 Compliance

NCW Libraries’ distribution center is a 31,340-square-foot Tier 2 building. SEM activated there in July 2025. The organization’s goal included completing Washington’s Tier 2 requirements early while improving the building’s energy performance. That meant coordinating compliance deliverables, utility information, operating practices, and the people responsible for the facility.

The client credits both the students and their professional support team with delivering the work on time and at a high standard. Chelan PUD also had an ongoing support role. That partnership matters because the Early Adopter Incentive and Tier 2 process depend on coordination among the building owner, the serving utility, and Commerce, not on the student team acting alone.

The reported electricity comparison covers November through June. Base-period use totaled 235,101 kWh, and current-period use totaled 194,474 kWh. The difference was 40,627 kWh, a 17 percent reduction. Because the table covers eight months, the figure is presented as an eight-month comparison rather than an annual result.

Every reported month showed a reduction. The percentages ranged from 11 percent in March to 25 percent in both May and June. December was 21 percent lower than its base comparison. The pattern shows improvement across winter and spring without suggesting that all months or future years will produce the same percentage.

The client record states that the distribution center achieved early Tier 2 compliance and avoided a documented $9,402 noncompliance penalty. That status is the clearest measure of the project’s compliance outcome. The electricity reduction adds operating context, but it is not used as a substitute for the required benchmarking, energy management, operations and maintenance, and reporting work.

Amanda Lawson, Facilities Manager for NCW Libraries, said the organization was proud to work with the Wenatchee SEM team to achieve early compliance. She noted that the students and professional support team provided high-quality service and completed grant and program deliverables on time, with ongoing support from Chelan PUD.

For another Tier 2 owner, the lesson is straightforward: early action creates room for coordination. Utility data can be checked, building information can be corrected, management documents can reflect actual operations, and incentive questions can be addressed before the deadline. For partners, the story shows how a utility, a public-serving organization, students, and professional staff can contribute distinct pieces of one successful project.

To start your Tier 2 compliance and incentive review, visit SEM’s Get Started page.