First introduced in 2016, NYC Local Law 133 amended Local Law 84 (LL84), the energy benchmarking law, and extended covered building list to mid-size buildings in New York City. It mandates buildings between 25,000-50,000 square feet to submit energy and water consumption annually, starting from May 1, 2019. As a result, another 11,000 buildings are required to conduct energy benchmarking. It’s another step that the City took to pursue the rigorous goals set by the New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
How to comply with the Local Law 133?
Covered buildings are required to take the same procedure as those who need to comply with LL84. It means that building owners may use ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager to generate and submit a benchmarking report. Building owners can also find their building’s ENERGY STAR score and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions on the report. Such score will be used to determine an Energy Grade, which needs to be posted at all building’s entrance as per NYC Local Law 33.
Buildings where tenant space is separately metered by utility company need to submit tenant’s metered energy and water usage data. Non-compliance to Local Law 133 subjects to a fine of $500 per quarter.
What benefits does Energy Benchmarking create?
Building owners can evaluate their qualification for ENERGY STAR certification using the benchmarking report. With an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher, such buildings are qualified to apply and the blue ENERGY STAR label increases building’s value in the leasing market. Also, a top-performing building costs less on operation and emits less Greenhouse Gases.
As NYC Local Law 97 requires mid-size buildings to stay below pre-determined GHG emission limits, building owners can track GHG emissions using the benchmarking report. It gives building owners and property managers a quick access to their building’s performance. If your building emits over-limit Greenhouse Gases, you are subject to a penalty at $268 per metric tons of energy-related carbon dioxide annually for the exceeded emissions. Therefore, it’s important to discover any energy deficiency and keep your building’s GHG emissions below the limits ahead of time.
The Cotocon Group has tremendous experience in assisting mid-size building owners and property managers to comply with the Local Law 133. We will ensure that your compliance meets all requirements from compiling data to submitting the energy and water benchmarking report to NYC Department of Finance. We simplify the local law compliance for you so that you take minimum effort on your part. Contact us to know more!