Before you and your building settle in for a long winter's nap, be sure you've submitted your property's benchmarking report.
Quick refresher: Under New York City's Local Law 84/09, owners of properties larger than 50,000 square feet are required to submit their building's energy use (electricity, gas, and fuel oil or steam) every year. The utilities data from the previous year must be entered into the EPA's Portfolio Manager website.
The benchmarking law took effect this year as part of the city's Greener, Greater Buildings Plan, and the reports were originally due May 1. The city has given property owners until December 31 to submit their reports, after which they face a $500 penalty. Benchmarking reports for 2012 and subsequent years are due every May 1.
Last month the Department of Buildings sent warning letters to building owners who did not submit their benchmarking reports by August 1. If you submitted your building's benchmark report and still received this letter it may be because:
- You submitted the report after August 1. If you received a confirmation email from the EPA, your building has complied and there is nothing further to do.
- The borough, block, and lot (BBL) for your building was entered incorrectly or not at all. If you benchmarked before August 1, check the confirmation email to ensure the BBL is correct. If the BBL is wrong, simply enter the correct BBL and resubmit the report by December 31.
If you are not sure whether your building is 50,000 square feet or larger, check the list of buildings required to comply with Local Law 84/09. You can also visit the DOB's website for benchmarking FAQs and more information. According to the DOB, 60 to 70 percent of the buildings on the list have submitted their benchmarking report.
Benchmarking energy and water use enables owners, managers, and residents to better understand their buildings' performance and identify energy efficiency improvements that will save your building money. More than just the law, it's smart building operation.
So if your building hasn't submitted its benchmarking report, now's the time to do so. Then you can sleep in heavenly peace.
