NYC Greener, Greater Buildings Plan Legislation

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NYC Greener, Greater Buildings Plan

On December 9, 2009, New York’s City Council passed major legislation known as the “Greener, Greater Buildings Plan” that places New York City at the forefront of municipal efforts to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings.

The legislation consists of a new NYC Energy Conservation Code and three additional
regulatory bills.

Visit PLANYC website for a full description of the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan.

Local Law 84: Benchmarking Energy & Water Use
  • The water and energy benchmarking bill requires owners to annually benchmark the buildings’ energy and water usage, beginning no later than May 1st of every year, using last year's utility data.
  • Benchmarking compares subject building performance to other similar properties and creates a baseline from which to improve.
  • New York City has designated the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Energy Star program as the methodology for benchmarking NYC buildings.
  • Benchmarked information will be publicly disclosed on the internet each year.
Local Law 87: Energy Audits & Retro-Commissioning
  • Owners are required to do the following:
    • Conduct a Level II ASHRAE Energy Audit of base building systems;
    • Conduct a Retro-Commissioning of base building systems; and
    • Submit an Energy Efficiency Report documenting both the Energy Audit and the Retro-Commissioning.
  • Energy Efficiency Reports will be due in groups beginning in 2013; specific due dates will be staggered as determined by the building’s tax block number. Thereafter, the Audit and Retro-Commissioning process must be performed and an updated Energy Efficiency Report must be filed every 10 years.
  • Retro-commissioning involves re-tuning measures that will ensure building systems are operating efficiently. Retro-commissioning must be performed on the base building systems in the 4 years prior to the building's energy efficiency report
    being led.
  • The work may be completed no more than 4 years prior to the date on which the energy efficiency report is due.


Local Law 85: NYC Energy Conservation Code

The NYC Energy Conservation Code (ECC), which went into effect on July 1, 2010, requires that any element of the building directly affected by additions, alternations and/or renovations must adhere to the New York City Energy Conservation Code (NYCECC). This closes the 50% loophole in the Energy Code, whereby buildings did not need to comply with contemporary codes when renovating less than 50% of a building system. The NYC Department of Buildings will also not issue building permits without documentation of compliance with the ECC, including an energy analysis by a registered professional.



Local Law 88: Lighting Retrofits and Submetering
  • Building owners must upgrade their entire building’s lighting systems to current code and led a report with the department whenever a renovation is pursued, whether it touches electrical systems or not, OR by January 1, 2025, whichever comes first.

  • On or before January 1, 2025, sub-meters must be installed in all tenant spaces of 10,000 square feet or more. Smaller tenants that reside on the same floor may be metered collectively. Additionally, building owners will have to provide tenants with monthly electricity consumption statements.
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NYC Greener, Greater Buildings Plan Legislation

NYC Local Law 84
Important Date: August 1, 2011 - Owners must benchmark the buildings’ energy and water usage beginning on this date USING 2010 ENERGY AND WATER DATA, and then must do so every year thereafter.

Legislation Description

* Click here to DOWNLOAD this information in a printable format.


For more information about NYC Local Compliance Laws*

*Visit PLANYC website for a full description or contact Sales Executive Sam Jurist, at (212) 354-1560 or

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