Benchmarking Your Building

Benchmarking Your Building The Right Way With The Cotocon Group

Benchmarking is the mandatory yearly reporting of structures’ water and energy usage. It aims to reduce carbon emissions from NYC buildings, the single largest polluter in the city. However, the regulation now covers buildings smaller than before. And it might quickly contract once more.

This law mandates buildings greater than 25,000 sq. ft to provide annual benchmarking data to the city. Moreover, the bill — Intro 237, which is currently in the NYC council, can bring change. It would add roughly 30,000 more buildings to the 50,000 that currently comply with this law. These new additions will be applicable for buildings larger than 10,000 sq. ft. 

So, keep reading to explore more insight into NYC building benchmarking and how The Cotocon Group can help. 

NYC Building Benchmarking: An Overview

So, what is benchmarking exactly? Well, it is an energy efficiency initiative that requires annual tracking and submission of energy use data. However, it only collects data from a select group of buildings in New York City. Buildings get energy efficiency ratings to take part in energy benchmarking. So this provides building owners with information about how their facility stacks up against others of a similar nature.

How Does The Benchmarking Law In New York Work?

The year 2009 saw the passing of Local Law 84 (LL84). It is one of the first energy efficiency laws in the nation. Moreover, it’s the first to be put into effect in New York under the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan. This benchmarking law requires NY buildings above 50,000 square feet to benchmark their water and energy use annually. There is a lower bar for properties that the city manages and controls. 

To modify the local law 84, the city went for the implementation of the Local Law 133 in 2016. Thanks to this legislation update, the 50,000 sq. ft reporting property size limitation came down to 25,000. This extension will bring almost 10,000 more properties to the benchmarking data set when it goes into effect with 2018 data, bringing the total amount of covered floor area to about 60% of NYC’s gross square footage.

Note: Large building owners—the majority of which are also subject to Local Law 97—are required by the NYC Benchmarking Law to do annual benchmarking. Benchmarking criteria do not apply to every building listed under Local Law 97, and vice versa.

Objective of This LL84 (Benchmarking) Law

The local law’s main objective is to increase the energy efficiency of buildings in all five boroughs of NYC. It does so by offering thorough, useful data that one can use to pinpoint and improve energy and emissions performance. Cities all throughout the nation may track advancements and simultaneously increase efficiency in thousands of public and private buildings. 

However, that’s only possible with the ENERGY STAR portfolio management tool. In the end, this law is a cost-effective strategy for building owners who want to improve the efficiency of their space—beneficial to the environment as well as the pocketbooks of their tenants!

Energy Benchmarking: What Does It Involve?

  • Obtaining from suppliers the relevant energy consumption statistics
  • Creating a profile on the Portfolio Manager website of the EPA
  • Adding the space utilization features of the building to the webpage
  • Computing energy data that is missing by importing the consumption data into the website.
  • Making a report on energy use
  • Sending the data to the City of New York digitally.

Why Invest In NYC Building Benchmarking?

  • Utilize Data to Your Advantage in Real Estate Investing: Benchmarking offers investors and real estate owners information that helps them make wise choices. Property owners can compare their building’s energy efficiency to other structures. By doing so, they can apply the data to pinpoint areas for improvement and set investment priorities.
  • Save Operating Expenses: Now, building owners can compare a building’s performance and look for areas for improvement. This can help them save significantly on operating expenses. How so? They can steer the investment towards NYC localities with high ROI potential.
  • Boost Property Value: By increasing general productivity and tenant satisfaction, benchmarking can boost a property’s value. Moreover, owners have the chance to show their dedication to energy efficiency. However, that’s a feature that renters are looking for more and more in a rental.
  • Lowers Greenhouse Gas Emissions: It can lower carbon footprints or greenhouse gas emissions. How? It gives building owners access to data that seamlessly guides them on operational choices. Moreover, benchmarking data helps them understand how their facilities leverage energy and set targets for improvement accordingly. 

Getting Started With NYC Benchmarking: Learn How

Thanks to NYC benchmarking, building owners can now simultaneously reduce energy expenses and carbon emissions. Here’s how:

 

  • First, log into the NYC benchmarking website and add basic building details. This may include the borough, address, and so on. 
  • Once done, submit documentation digitally, such as energy reports and power bills. 
  • Now, view and compare your building’s initial energy score to that of peer buildings.
  • Note that this score is created by integrating reported information on building dimensions, number of buildings, thermostat capacity, and other factors.

NYC Energy Benchmarking forecasts power bill reductions of up to 10% each year when cutting energy use by 20%. With this law, you can begin cutting your energy use right away!

Optimizing Your Results

Energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems are the most popular building changes that will significantly enhance benchmarking outcomes.

Lighting

Energy-efficient lighting is typically seen as the investment with the best economic payback or the one that will pay for itself quickly. To lower operating costs and enhance results, long-lasting, low-wattage LED lighting is installed in many New York City buildings, mostly offices, retail stores, hotels, restaurants, and apartments.

HVAC

The air conditioner is the greatest building energy cost-related equipment in buildings with air conditioning. The biggest benchmarking percentage rating improvement usually comes from installing energy-efficient air conditioning.

Efficient Heat Pump System

A heat pump system lowers energy expenses and carbon emissions while providing heating and cooling. Heat pumps offer a great return on investment and are two to four times more efficient than traditional gas, oil, or electric resistive heating. 

Compared to electric furnaces and baseboard systems, a cold-climate heat pump can save up to 50% on heating electricity use while increasing tenant comfort and air quality. Additionally, they are far more effective and efficient than window air conditioners.

Benchmarking Becomes Simpler With The Cotocon Group

The Cotocon Group, a full-service energy consultancy, sees compliance with the benchmarking law as a significant potential to save money. In addition to evaluating a facility for benchmarking, we may do an extensive energy use survey. 

Our professional energy auditors assess all aspects of energy use, including fuel choices, lighting, HVAC systems, and the thermal envelope. The results of the energy audit paint a clear picture of present energy use and point out significant areas for saving. It also acts as a guide for upgrades that will raise value, boost profitability, and cut expenses.

We also provide a wide range of connected services, such as:

  • Audits of energy and utilities
  • energy-related advisory services

With a range of services and technology, we assist clients in reducing their energy use and enhancing energy management:

  • Submetering
  • Wireless energy management
  • Retrofit HVAC
  • Retrofit lighting
  • High-efficiency HVAC

So, get in touch with our experts for seamless benchmarking compliance solutions today!