What is NYC Local Law 88: Lighting Upgrades & Sub-Metering?

Local Law 88 requires that buildings in New York City perform lighting upgrades and sub-metering installations to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Why was NYC Local Law 88 enacted?

Energy use by non-residential tenants (commercial, community facilities, medical centres, etc.) accounts for a large portion of overall electricity consumption in mixed-use buildings, a behavior pattern that is largely unknown to these tenants. Sub-metering and the adoption of modern lighting technologies is critical to reducing energy consumption.

Lighting Upgrades

NYC Local Law 88 requires the lighting systems of covered buildings to be upgraded to comply with the standards for new systems set forth in section 805 of the New York city energy conservation code and/or applicable standards referenced in such energy code on or prior to January 1, 2025. The owner of a covered building shall ensure that the upgrade of the lighting system of the entire covered building is completed on or prior to such date and shall file a report with the department, on or prior to such date, prepared by a registered design professional or a licensed master or special electrician certifying that such upgrade has been completed and that the work is in compliance with the technical standards of the New York city electrical code.

COVERED BUILDINGS. (i) a building that exceeds 25,000 gross square feet, (ii) two or more buildings on the same tax lot that together exceed 100,000 gross square feet or (iii) two or more buildings held in the condominium form of ownership that are governed by the same board of managers and that together exceed 100,000 gross square feet.

SUB-METERING

NYC Local Law 88 requires that a device meeting the standards of the department or, where applicable, the public service commission, installed within a building’s electrical distribution system that measures the flow of electricity within a defined space within the building and that may, but need not, be used for apportioning the cost of electricity among the building’s tenants or subtenants.
On and after January 1, 2025, the electrical consumption of each covered tenant space shall be measured by one or more sub-meters. Sub-meters shall be installed in existing covered tenant spaces by the owner or the lessor of such space on or prior to January 1, 2025, and thereafter as new covered tenant spaces are created within the building.

Covered Tenant Space: A tenant space larger than 5,000 gross square feet on one or more floors of a covered building let or sublet to the same person, or (ii) a floor, of a covered building, larger than 5,000 gross square feet consisting of tenant spaces let or sublet to two or more different per

For any assistance, contact us!