Local Law 87/09 requires an energy audit of the building's base systems.
Last year owners of New York City properties 50,000 square feet or more began the annual process of submitting their buildings’ fuel, electric, gas, and water usage under the city new benchmarking law, Local Law 84/09. In 2013, the next part in the city’s energy-efficiency legislation (collectively known as the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan) takes effect: Local Law 87/09 requires those buildings to have energy audits conducted and to undergo retro-commissioning, which includes such energy-efficiency measures as cleaning HVAC ducts and vents and fine-tuning boilers.
After the conducting the energy audit and completing the retro-commissioning, owners must then file an Energy Efficiency Report (EER) based on the last digit of the building's block number. Buildings with blocks ending in 3 face the first filing deadline on December 31, 2013. Buildings with blocks ending in 4 must file their EER by the end of 2014, and so on.
Although the first filing deadline is slightly more than a year away, scheduling and conducting the energy audits, completing any necessary retro-commissioning measures, and filing the EER will require a significant amount of time to avoid a last-minute rush and possible penalties for late filings. Buildings can begin the audit and retro-commissioning up to four years before their filing deadline to allow them enough time and capital reserves to complete the entire process.
To help building owners better understand the details of Local Law 87/09 and the steps they must take to comply with it, RAND is conducting a free seminar on Wednesday (Dec. 5) at 6:30 PM. The seminar will cover such topics as which building systems are included in the audit, identifying energy-efficient measures, filing fees and penalties for non-compliance, and funding opportunities.
The seminar will be held at our office at 159 West 25th Street (11th floor), just east of Seventh Avenue) in Manhattan, and will run for approximately one hour, followed by a question-and-answer session. If you would like to attend, please contact Michele Wheeler at 212-675-8844, ext. 288; mwheeler@nullrandpc.com to reserve a spot. We start serving wine and hors d'oeuvres at 6:00, so come early to enjoy the refreshments, and bring a friend, fellow board member, or colleague. We hope to see you there!
