What is Local Law 87
Local Law 87 is part of a package of New York City energy laws known as the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan. The law requires that all New York City properties over 50,000 square feet undergo a professional energy assessment and that the results of this assessment be filed as a report with the Department of Buildings. The assessment and report have two components: Energy Auditing and Retro-Commissioning
What is an Energy Audit?
An energy audit details a building’s energy usage, identifies the systems responsible for this energy usage(lighting, heating, etc), and proposes ways to reduce this energy usage.
What is Retro-Commissioning?
Retro-commissioning is essentially a “tune up” of the building’s base systems. LL87 identifies over 20 items which need to be checked for deficiencies and which need to be addressed if deficiencies are found.
When do I have to comply?
The compliance year is based upon the last digit of the tax block number. If a building's tax block number ends in three, the compliance year is 2013, if it ends in four, the compliance year is 2014, and so on. This grid shows exactly how it works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I required to spend a ton of money implementing your proposed "energy savings" measures.
No! The recommendations we make for the energy audit are not mandatory.
What about spending money on retro-commissioning?
The City IS requiring that certain deficiencies be corrected, however, these are typically minor deficiencies such as pipe insulation or thermostat adjustments. Capital intensive items such as changing a boiler or a roof are NOT required.
How often do I have to do this?
Once every ten years. Once you have complied, you do not need to do anything again for another ten years.
What happens if I don't comply?
Fines will range from $3000 to $5000 for every year that the building is not in compliance with Local Law 87
Is there any reason to comply early?
Yes and no. We have a whole page dedicated to discussing this issue.