On December 9, 2009 the New York City Council passed legislation known as the “Greener, Greater Buildings Plan”. This legislation is designed to reduce the city’s carbon footprint by 5% (equivalent to the entire carbon footprint of Oakland, CA). The bill is also part of a wider strategy to reduce NYC’s carbon footprint 30% by 2030.
All new renovation projects must now comply with the IECC in the portions of the buildings being renovated. Also, buildings that are 50,000 ft2 and larger must now monitor energy and water use through the US EPA’s Portfolio Manager tool, upgrade lighting systems to code for renovations prior to 2025, provide tenant sub-metering, and under go energy audits and retro-commissioning every ten years.