The Greener, Greater Building Plan

What you need to know about upcoming building regulations -- and a preview of how this website will help you green your large properties in compliance with the new legislation.

Why

Nearly 80% of greenhouse gas emissions in NYC are caused by energy consumed in buildings, for electricity, heating, and hot water.  Energy use in buildings costs $15 billion annually.  On Earth Day 2009, Mayor Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Quinn announced the Greener, Greater Building Plan, a package of proposed legislation that will make the city’s building stock the most energy efficient in the country and help the city reach its PlaNYC goal: a 30% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

The plan focuses on commercial and residential properties which total over 50,000 square feet because they account for 45% of all energy use. 

What

The Greener, Greater Building Plan is made up of six components that will go into effect in the next decade. It includes:

1. The New York City Energy Conservation Code: A new, stricter code that, most notably, does away with the 50% exclusion rule that is part of the existing code.  No longer will buildings in which renovations affected less than 50 % be exempt from compliance with changes to the code.
2. Lighting Upgrades: Buildings over 50,000 square feet will be required to replace their existing lighting systems with more efficient ones. Lighting upgrades can take place during renovations or when the owner chooses, but all upgrades have to be done by December 31, 2022.
3. Benchmarking: Buildings over 50,000 square feet (and residential buildings over 10,000 square feet that are owned by the city) will be required to benchmark or measure their annual energy and water consumption, using the free EPA Energy Star Portfolio Manager or other benchmarking tool.
4. Audits and Retrofits: This law can be summed up in two words: replace and upgrade. Buildings will be required to be audited or assessed every 10 years to determine which “smart-energy saving retrofit” works best for the building type and is most economical. After the assessment, the building’s systems will be replaced as needed, and existing systems will be retro-commissioned and upgraded if need be.
5. Green Workforce Training: In partnership with the real estate and labor industries, NYSERDA, and the US Green Building Council, the city plans to train workers in the skills they’ll need to perform audits, benchmarking, retrofits, and lighting upgrades.
6. Green Building Financing: This part of the plan can be summarized in one word: money! The city plans to implement loans obtained through the Stimulus Plan to help finance compliance with the laws, up to 100% of the auditing and retrofit cost.

For more information, read "Getting Down To Work," an excellent article by Dr. Nancy Anderson, a member of the NYC Building Performance Website Advisory Panel and Executive Director of the Sallan Foundation.

Who

Although the city hopes that making the city greener will be a collective effort by all New Yorkers, the proposed package will primarily affect those involved in the management and operations of large buildings such as building owners, managers, and operators.

When

New York City Energy Code	July 1, 2010
Lighting Upgrades	July 1, 2010
Benchmarking	July 1, 2010
Audits and Retrofits	Dec. 31, 2013
Green Workforce Training	Strategy expected in late 2009
Green Building Financing	First loans provided in early 2010

How

How are those affected supposed to comply with these new laws?  This is where we come in. The Building Performance Lab and the Newman Real Estate Institute, with the support of EPA Region 2, is currently working on this website.  It will provide building owners and operators with tools for complying with the coming legislation, information about workforce training and other educational opportunities, wisdom from early adopters, and a forum for sharing experiences.