Known as the Benchmarking Law, Local Law 84 (LL84) requires building owners to submit yearly energy and water usage data. Reports are due May 1 of each year. Failure to comply will result in fines.
Building owners must submit data for buildings that are larger than 25,000 square feet or if a building owner has two or more buildings on a single lot that are larger than 100,000 square feet. Property managers and building owners can see if their building falls under LL84 by checking the LL84 Covered Building List.
To comply with LL84, owners must submit data using the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Portfolio Manager platform. This tool allows for comparing a building's energy efficiency with similar structures.
Local Law 33 Makes Benchmarking Visible to All
Under Local Law 33 (LL33), owners of buildings subject to Local Law 84 must publicly display Building Energy Efficiency Rating labels. The labels, generated from data submitted to the EPA Portfolio Manager platform for LL84 compliance, give the public a snapshot of a building's energy performance relative to other NYC buildings. Building owners who pursue energy efficiency improvements are rewarded with higher energy grades.
LL84 and LL33 give building owners, tenants and potential buyers a better understanding of a building's energy consumption. Over time, the market will shift towards increasingly efficient, high-performing buildings.
Local Laws 84 and 33 are part of the larger Greener, Greater Buildings Plan (GGBP) initiative, targeting energy efficiency in large existing buildings in New York City.
