Important Information on Local Law 87

Posted by yadavsolutions on December 14th, 2017

Our environment and atmosphere are getting threatened by humans and their mindless exploitive actions each day. It is already on the verge of extinction and our actions are responsible for this. We should do something and the New York City has really done a good thing in this regard for protecting the environment from being further exploited. Local Law 87 has been the step that the government has formulated in order to be able to do something concrete for safeguarding the environment.

Local Law 87 (LL87) makes it mandatory for every building over 50,000 gross square feet to undergo regular energy audit and retro-commissioning measures, as part of the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan (GGBP). This law intends to keep the building owners informed regarding their energy consumption through energy audits, which are surveys and analysis reports made on their energy use. This surveys and reports also consist of an analysis of retro-commissioning, which is the process of making sure appropriate equipment installation and their proper performance.

This report and analysis provided through energy audits and retro-commissioning will help building owners develop a much more robust understanding of their buildings’ performance. This will eventually convince them to shift the market towards more efficient, high-performing buildings.

Local Law 87 or LL87’s energy audit and retro-commissioning process needs the following:

1. Determination of whether a building needs to comply, and what year it is due.
2. Conduction of an energy audit and retro-commissioning of base building systems needs to be ensured. It is also required to complete an Energy Efficiency Report (EER) in an electronic form.
3. Submission of the EER once every ten years to the City by 31st December.

LL87 requires huge buildings undergo or get done an audit, retro-commission, and submit the discovered information to the City. The audit and retro-commissioning information will consist of the following:

I. Basic team information
II. Information regarding the general building
III. Currently used equipment inventory
IV. Energy end use breakdown
V. Energy conservation measures taken by the building owner or the business owner as identified from the audit
VI. Retro-commissioning measures undertaken

Department of Building or DOB can provide in detail information about

1. Local Law 87,
2. The Energy Audit and Retro-commissioning Data Collection Tools
3. The Professional Certification Forms
4. The way to defer filing and how to apply for an extension.

This information will be beneficial as EER submission guidance to building owners who are required to submit their Energy Efficiency Reports (EER) to the City by 31st December of the year they are due, once in ten years.

Energy Auditors and Retro-commissioning Agents are required to be appointed for making the report. An individual appointed for performing or supervising work essential for conducting the energy audit and retro-commissioning has to be:

A properly registered architect or duly licensed professional engineer in New York State with necessary audit or retro-commissioning qualifications,

OR

A DOB registered energy auditor or retro-commissioning agent with proper training approved by the concerned authority.

About the Author:

The writer is an expert in the field of commercial & industrial buildings with focus on Local Law 87 New York, Local Law 87 NYC, LL87 NYC and more.