Washington State to Require Heat Pumps in New Building Codes

Washington state’s Building Code Council has approved a code that sets stricter electrification requirements for new commercial buildings to reduce greenhouse gases.

The updated energy code, adopted in an 11-3 vote on April 22, will require heat pumps to be used as the primary heat source in new commercial buildings and multifamily residences of four or more stories.

Effective July 2023, the code is projected to cut more than 8 million tons of carbon dioxide by 2050, according to an analysis by the Rocky Mountain Institute, a clean energy research organization. About one- quarter of Washington’s greenhouse gas emissions come ...