Energy Efficient Building ChallengeBackground & Resources / 2020

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Energy Efficient BuildingsHow might we improve the energy efficiency of buildings in New York City?

BackgroundBuildings represent nearly 70% of total GHG emissions in New York City, topping the list as the City’s largest emitter. Electricity use, heating, and cooling are energy intensive processes that all contribute to GHG emissions. That’s why the Climate Mobilization Act, the City’s landmark climate legislation introduced earlier this year takes aim at buildings with Local Law 97, which mandates an 80% reduction in GHG emissions by 2050.

Part of the reason it has been challenging to cut building emissions is the gap between building operators and innovators - the individuals who know how the City’s old buildings truly operate are not the same individuals who are developing innovative energy retrofits to improve building performance. Further, buildings are complex and unique systems, so a one-size-fits-all approach will not work when it comes to identifying energy efficiency techniques. A suite of energy retrofits tailored to a building’s specific architecture and needs will be key in reaching the benchmarks set out by Local Law 97.

The law’s first major milestone comes in 2030, when buildings larger than 25,000 square feet will be required to cut their emissions by 40% -- this nets out at nearly 50,000 residential and commercial buildings in New York City. The regulation is lofty by design, requiring building owners to comply with the first milestone in just 11 years is challenging, but the hope is that in the wake of this mandate, a robust energy efficiency industry will emerge to support the drastic, and necessary, emissions reduction.

ChallengeCircular City is seeking technologies that can increase the efficiency of a building’s energy use by improving existing approaches or introducing new approaches to make buildings compliant with Local Law 97.

Examples of pilot projects could include, but are not limited to: sensors in buildings, automated control systems for boilers, energy harvesting or data collection related to energy usage.

ResourcesLocal Law 97New York City Council - Climate Mobilization ActOneNYC 2050 - A Livable ClimateBuilding Energy Exchange - The Climate Mobilization Act OverviewUrban Green Council - NYC Building Emissions Law SummaryCityLab - Can New York Make Buildings Super-Efficient, Fast?