Making the environment safe and healthy is everyone’s responsibility and we humans are trying our best to clean and make the environment pollution free from building that release greenhouse emission and carbon footprints. That is why the New York City government introduced the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan (GGBP) in 2009 to improve the energy efficiency of large buildings in NYC and as a huge favor for the environment.
There are many laws that were introduced by the City like Local Law 87 (NYC LL87), which includes the essential components like energy audit and retro-commissioning law. These two components of Local Law 87 (NYC LL87), will constitute the buildings’ Energy Efficiency Report (EER) to complete the task to protect the environment.
It has been made mandatory in Local Law 87 for the large buildings to conduct audits, retro-commission, and then submit that recorded complete information to the city. To protect the environment from the harmful pollution released from the building, NYC Local Law 87 or LL87 came into force that needs all residential along with commercial buildings which are more than 50.000 square feet in gross area to carry out an energy audit and retro-commissioning every 10 years.
The main components of an audit and retro-commissioning information include the following:
The basic team information and data to be recorded/collected and submitted
General building information that includes everything related to energy usage information
Energy end-use breakdown along with existing equipment inventory
Energy conservation measures that are identified from the audit to make strategies
Retro-commissioning measures are to be taken to make the building more efficient.
In alignment with annual benchmarking, these measures will work to optimize buildings’ energy performance in the Local Law 87 or LL87.
ENERGY AUDITS AND RETRO-COMMISSIONING IN THE LOCAL LAW 87 OR LL87
Today, in New York City’s Local Law 87 or NYC LL87, energy audits and retro-commissioning are widely recognized as essential and effective ways in order to help lower a building’s energy consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions/carbon footprints.
LAW REQUIREMENTS
The City’s lawmakers designed this policy with a motive to get New York’s major buildings, that are 50,000 square feet or larger, to participate in multiple tasks operation across-the-board efficient energy consumption and reduced pollution effects.
ENERGY AUDIT
Building owners ensure a comprehensive survey is conducted basically which is an audit performed by a licensed engineer of the building’s mechanical systems to identify any instances of poor energy source use with an option to improve it to make the building’s performance more efficient.
For this process, one of our engineers conducts a walkthrough of your building:
To observe the condition of the building/facility and check the functionality.
To review the operation of energy-related equipment
To compile an inventory
Also, on an important note, conduct an interview with involved personnel/official even the building owner to gain an understanding of the day-to-day operational procedures and make note of any known issues which is compromising efficiency.
RETRO-COMMISSIONING STUDY
This process includes testing and making improvements to meet the required criteria to make the building more efficient in energy operation, and savings.
Unlike auditing, this phase requires more in-depth analysis as the requirement deals with multiple strategies and evaluation of the functionality of the building/facility’s equipment.
EFFICIENCY REPORT
It is a detailed study report that shows the steps of the process, compliance with the law and improvements made in the buildings to boost their performance.
Once the building owners make the changes in the building’s mechanical systems and cure the defects to increase its efficiency, then a detailed report must be completed and submitted to the City of New York which includes the efficiency of base building systems.
COVERED BUILDING
As appears in the records of the department of finance:
A building that exceeds 50,000 gross square feet (4645 m2), Two or more buildings on the same tax lot that together exceed 100,000 gross square feet (9290 m2), or
Two or more buildings held in the condominium form of ownership that are governed by the same board of managers and that together exceed 100,000 gross square feet (9290 m2).
