Energy Investment Systems by LL84 Benchmarking
The NYC government has completed an ongoing effort to gather relevant data on the energy is being consumed by NYC buildings. An attempt to audit every property would be unfeasible regarding both price and time, so efforts have concentrated on the houses that consume the most energy. To more effectively gather data on manufacturing energy use, the NYC government launched Local Legislation 84 and 87. Local Law 84 is also recognized as the Benchmarking Law, and the houses it covers are required to submit yearly data on energy and water use. LL87 intends to achieve a more detailed breakdown of energy data, requiring buildings to carry out energy audits and retro-commissioning, while delivering energy efficiency reports (EER) every ten years.
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Under LL87, energy audits have the goal of providing detailed building performance data, which is very valuable for the NYC authorities to deploy targeted energy efficiency and emissions reduction measures. On the other hand, retro-commissioning validates the working conditions of construction systems, making adjustments or minor modifications to ensure the most efficient operation possible with the present equipment. Since collecting data for all NYC would be unfeasible, LL84 and LL87 goal buildings over a certain size. When first launched in 2009, both laws were for all buildings meeting some of the following criteria:
From 2018 onwards, individual buildings with at least 25,000 ft2 of floor area will be required to perform benchmarking. The requirements for LL87 weren't modified. Property owners that are unsure if these laws cover their house can visit the Green Buildings & Energy Efficiency section of the NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability site. All buildings covered by LL84 and its amendment are expected to submit energy intake data, but water consumption data isn't required unless the property has been furnished with an automatic water meter, for at least a full calendar year before the data entry date. Delivery Dates For Benchmarking and Energy Efficiency Reports
- City-owned houses with at least 10,000 ft2 of floor space.
- Private structures with at least 50,000 ft2 of floor space.
- Groups of structures under the same tax account or condo ownership, with a whole area of at least 100,000 ft2.
From 2018 onwards, individual buildings with at least 25,000 ft2 of floor area will be required to perform benchmarking. The requirements for LL87 weren't modified. Property owners that are unsure if these laws cover their house can visit the Green Buildings & Energy Efficiency section of the NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability site. All buildings covered by LL84 and its amendment are expected to submit energy intake data, but water consumption data isn't required unless the property has been furnished with an automatic water meter, for at least a full calendar year before the data entry date. Delivery Dates For Benchmarking and Energy Efficiency Reports
Benchmarking data based on LL84 must be submitted by covered buildings annually, and the deadline is May 1st of every year. In the case of buildings above 25,000 ft2 but below 50,000 ft2, which were not previously covered by the Benchmarking Law, the first data submission must be carried out by May 1, 2018. Energy efficiency reports according to LL87 are submitted once every ten years, but they're not provided at once by all buildings. Preferably, each building was assigned a different year to deliver the first report based on the last chunk of their tax account (0 - 9), effectively breaking down the coated buildings into ten groups of approximately the same size.
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The Energy Efficiency Report can be filed at any time throughout the delegated calendar year and is required to include results from the energy audit and retro-commissioning. Although all covered buildings must submit the report, there are exemptions available for the energy audit and retro-commissioning procedure.
Energy Audit Exemptions
Buildings covered by LL87 are not required to perform an energy audit if they meet any of the following conditions:
In addition to the exemptions above, construction is waived in the first energy audit if it meets a series of minimum performance requirements in at least six of the seven categories described below, subject to validation by an NYC Registered Design Professional:
Common area and outdoor lighting. Low-flow taps and shower heads. Pipe insulation. Domestic hot water. Washing machines. Cool roof. This exemption is only available for buildings which have received a LEED Certification for Existing Buildings within the two years before report delivery, and who have earned the two following points:
LL84: How to Submit LL84 Benchmarking Data
The NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability has decided to collect building benchmarking data through the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, an online tool developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency. After the account is first created, the Portfolio Manager asks detailed building information, but then the annual procedure is simple. The best way to gather energy and water consumption data is to request it directly from the corresponding utilities. This can save plenty of time in properties with multiple tenants who are metered individually because there isn't any need to ask each tenant to supply data. Most utility businesses provide aggregated energy consumption data, and the Department of Environmental Protection can upload water intake data automatically.
Final Recommendations
Compliance with LL84 and LL87 can be a difficult topic, so professional supervision is strongly recommended. As there are exemptions for ENERGY STAR and LEED Certified buildings, buildings supervisors who are planning to obtain these certifications can benefit from doing so before the next EER is expected. Working with a specialized engineering consulting company may simplify LL84 and LL87 compliance for NYC businesses, allowing them to focus on their business.
Energy Audit Exemptions
Buildings covered by LL87 are not required to perform an energy audit if they meet any of the following conditions:
- ENERGY STAR label from the US Environmental Protection Agency for at least two of the three decades before the report delivery year.
- LEED Certification for Existing Buildings from the US Green Building Council, within the four years before the report delivery year.
- Validation by an NYC Registered Design Professional, proving that building energy performance is at least 25 points over an average building of its type, based on LEED or another approved rating system.
In addition to the exemptions above, construction is waived in the first energy audit if it meets a series of minimum performance requirements in at least six of the seven categories described below, subject to validation by an NYC Registered Design Professional:
Common area and outdoor lighting. Low-flow taps and shower heads. Pipe insulation. Domestic hot water. Washing machines. Cool roof. This exemption is only available for buildings which have received a LEED Certification for Existing Buildings within the two years before report delivery, and who have earned the two following points:
- Commissioning evaluation and analysis
- Commissioning implementation
LL84: How to Submit LL84 Benchmarking Data
The NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability has decided to collect building benchmarking data through the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, an online tool developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency. After the account is first created, the Portfolio Manager asks detailed building information, but then the annual procedure is simple. The best way to gather energy and water consumption data is to request it directly from the corresponding utilities. This can save plenty of time in properties with multiple tenants who are metered individually because there isn't any need to ask each tenant to supply data. Most utility businesses provide aggregated energy consumption data, and the Department of Environmental Protection can upload water intake data automatically.
Final Recommendations
Compliance with LL84 and LL87 can be a difficult topic, so professional supervision is strongly recommended. As there are exemptions for ENERGY STAR and LEED Certified buildings, buildings supervisors who are planning to obtain these certifications can benefit from doing so before the next EER is expected. Working with a specialized engineering consulting company may simplify LL84 and LL87 compliance for NYC businesses, allowing them to focus on their business.