City Offers Co-op / Condo Boards Help with Mandated Energy Benchmarking
May 19, 2011 — As co-op boards and condo associations in large buildings already know, New York City's new Energy Conservation Code has been in effect since December 2009, with one of its provisions — Local Law 84, involving "benchmarking" of energy and water use — requiring action very soon afterward. But as with any new code or law, understanding it and complying with it tend to be step-by-step measures. Fortunately for your condo or co-op board, the city has just come up with a set of tools to help, including a hotline and amnesty.
Applying only buildings to of over 50,000 square feet (or two or more on the same tax lot together exceeding 100,000 square feet, or two or more condo buildings governed by the same board and together exceeding 100,000 square feet), Local Law 84, requires you to benchmark your energy and water use by May 1, 2011 — yep, over two weeks ago — and then by every May 1st afterward.
Benchmarking means keeping track of your total energy and water for the previous calendar years and then inputting and submitting it to benchmarking tool. What's a benchmarking tool? In this case it's the Automated Benchmarking System (ABS) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Portfolio Manager page. How complicated is it? Enough so that the New York City Mayor's Office of Long-Term Planning & Sustainability, in partnership with American Energy Assets, CUNY, the Urban Green Council, Con Ed and NYSERDA, has developed an assortment of tools to help you.
1) Temporary amnesty from penalties
While compliance with benchmarking was due on May 1, the City will accept the 2010 Benchmarking Compliance Report up to August 1, 2011 without issuing any penalty.
2) Hotline
A hotline for answering general benchmarking questions and the use of the Portfolio Manager is now available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., via phoning the city's 311 service.
3) Training
The Association for Energy Affordability is offering in-person training on the Portfolio Manager tool. The three-and-a-half hour, $50 course also covers how to comply with Local Law 84. For class dates and to register visit the Benchmarking Training page of the organization's website.
4 ) Online updates
Information and continual updates on Local Law 84 are now available at the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan website.
5) Free presentations
The Urban Green Council is providing free presentations on New York’s four new energy-efficiency laws. To book a presentation, go to the group's Greener, Greater Buildings Plan Education page.
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