RAUW energy

Contents of RauwLetter January 2010

1. New York City’s Resolutions for a Greener, Healthier Future
2. Legislation in Place to Achieve New York City’s Resolutions of a Cleaner, Healthier Future
3. Bedford, New York's Resolutions to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
4. Rauw Energy’s 2010 Resolutions
5. Referral Program

Legislation in Place to Achieve New York City’s Resolutions of a Cleaner, Healthier Future

On December 9, 2009 New York City passed legislation to help bring older, existing buildings up to today's energy efficiency standards. New York City's Greener, Greater Buildings Plan includes the following:

1. New York City Energy Code
   Today, our energy standards are controlled by a New York State code that includes a critical loophole – one that no other state has – that allows inefficient equipment to be replaced with similarly inefficient equipment. This legislation creates a local New York City Energy Code and eliminates this unique loophole. This means when a renovation takes place in one of NYC's one million buildings, new equipment will have to meet current standards, resulting in energy reductions and cost savings.
2. Lighting Up-Grades and Sub Metering
   A fifth of all NYC's energy is used in lighting – and lighting upgrades routinely pay for themselves in a few years. This legislation requires all large buildings to upgrade their lighting over the next 15 years. The requirement will not apply to residential living spaces. Non-residential tenant spaces over 10,000 square feet are required to be sub-metered by 2025. Sub-metering requires building owners to provide a monthly statement of electricity consumption and charges in certain large tenant spaces.
3. Benchmarking
   You can't manage what you don't measure. This legislation requires large buildings to conduct an annual analysis of energy consumption using a free, online tool provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Building owners need only know basic information about their building and have their energy bills on hand. Benchmarking provides a simple and effective tool for owners and potential purchasers alike to compare buildings' energy consumption with similar buildings, to start to understand how efficiently it is running. The law will not require residential tenants to disclose information to a landlord.
4. Audits and Retro-Commissioning
   Smart energy-saving investments pay for themselves, but knowing which ones work in an individual building requires an energy audit. This legislation requires large buildings to conduct an energy audit once every ten years, and to undertake energy-efficient maintenance practices as part of a retro-commissioning process. On average, energy audits cost 15 cents per square foot. The law will apply to the buildings' central systems, to minimize impacts on individual tenants and ensure that the owner who makes the investment will realize the savings. Large buildings with simple systems will have the option to comply with the law by undertaking a series of pre-approved energy efficiency measures in lieu of the audit.
5. Green Workforce Development Training
   These energy-saving improvements require a skilled workforce and create 17,800 construction-related jobs. To ensure that New Yorkers have these skills, the City is partnering with real estate and labor to identify the qualifications and training workers will need to perform these new green jobs. Because building upgrades will be a key economic driver in the new green economy, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the U.S. Green Building Council will work with the City to design and fund the training that is required.
6. Green Building Financing
   Smart, energy-saving improvements pay for themselves, reduce utility bills and strengthen buildings' financial health; every building can profit from this kind of improvement. However, some owners may not be able to obtain financing to make these upgrades. To begin to assist these owners, New York City was awarded federal stimulus funds to establish a pilot revolving loan fund. Energy savings data will be collected to encourage private sector lending in the long-term.

To learn more about the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan go to http://www.nyc.gov/.