Washington Clean Buildings · Tier 2 guide
What a Qualified Energy Manager (QEM) does
Every Tier 2 building needs a Qualified Energy Manager (QEM). Here's who can be one, what the QEM is responsible for, and how the free state training works.
A QEM is required for Tier 2
Commerce: "A QEM is required to complete Tier 2 compliance requirements and application submission." The QEM is an individual designated by the building owner (CBPS 017, Roles and Responsibilities). It can be someone on your own team or an outside professional.
Who qualifies
Under CBPS 017, a QEM is a person who has completed Commerce's Tier 2 training program and meets at least one of these:
- two years of educational and/or professional experience with commercial building operations and/or building energy management;
- a full-time energy-efficiency fellowship or internship, supervised or mentored by a QEM, QP or QEA for at least six months, with a successful compliance application produced with that supervisor; or
- Building Operator Certification (BOC) Level I by Building Potential.
A Qualified Person (the Tier 1 role) may also act as the QEM. Commerce decides eligibility.
What the QEM is responsible for
- Establishing the building's energy use intensity target (EUIt) under Section 7 of the standard. Commerce: the QEM calculates the gross floor area, selects the activity type, determines the operating shift factor and enters the data on Form B in the Clean Buildings Portal (Commerce, Tier 2 compliance).
- Calculating the building's measured energy use intensity (EUI) by completing Form C.
- Submitting the compliance forms, and stating in writing on Form A that the Energy Management Plan and O&M program have been developed, implemented and maintained.
- Signing and submitting Form A. Commerce's incentive guidebook also says the QEM "will need to complete the application" for the early adopter incentive.
Free QEM training
The QEM course is run by the Smart Buildings Center in collaboration with Commerce. As of October 9, 2026 it lists a virtual session on October 21 and 23, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (both days required) and an on-demand version; new on-demand registrants are added weekly. The same page links a directory of QEMs (Smart Buildings Center, QEM training).
Where a document-preparation service fits
| Task | QEM | Evergreen Compliance (drafts) |
|---|---|---|
| Collect utility accounts, nameplate photos, floor plans | Reviews | Requests, organizes, chases |
| Portfolio Manager setup and data completeness check | Confirms | Checklist and administrative review |
| Form B: floor area, activity type, shift factor, EUIt | Determines and enters | Owner facts in an input packet, QEM fields left blank |
| Form C: measured EUI | Completes | None |
| Energy Management Plan | Reviews, revises, approves | Draft on Commerce's template |
| O&M program | Reviews, revises, approves | Draft inventory and task schedule on Commerce's tool |
| Reporting tools, attestations, Form A, submission | Signs and submits | Checklist only. We never sign, attest or submit |
See what the drafts look like in our sample package (a made-up building).
Quick answers
Can my building manager be our QEM?
Possibly. A person who completes Commerce's free Tier 2 QEM training and has two years of experience with commercial building operations or energy management (or BOC Level I, or a qualifying supervised fellowship) meets CBPS 017's description. Commerce decides eligibility.
Does the QEM have to be an engineer?
CBPS 017 does not list an engineering license among the QEM qualifications. It lists the Commerce training plus experience, a supervised fellowship, or BOC Level I.
Is the QEM training free?
Commerce describes its QEM training as free, offered on-demand, in-person or as live virtual sessions, through the Smart Buildings Center.
Official sources
Want to know where your building stands?
Send us a building name or address and we'll reply with a free one-page Building Snapshot: our preliminary assessment of likely Tier 2 status from public information (for the owner or QEM to confirm), the deadline, the potential maximum penalty, an incentive estimate and a to‑do list. If you go ahead, we prepare draft documents on Commerce's templates for your QEM to review, revise, approve and submit.