New York readies tighter building code for green push

According to a story on BusinessGreen.com , New York has continued its drive to establish the city as the world’s leading green metropolis, unveiling a new six-point plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its buildings.

The Greener, Greater Buildings Plan, to be implemented as part of its two-year-old PlaNYC initiative, was unveiled last week on Earth Day.

It aims to cut the city’s building-based greenhouse gas emissions by 5%- roughly the same as all carbon emissions from Oakland, Calif.

To help meet the target, the city will introduce a new Energy Code Bill to eliminate a loophole that lets property owners dodge energy standards unless they are undertaking huge renovations.

It will also create a Benchmarking Bill, which will require all city buildings to be measured against an energy efficiency baseline–a move officials say will allow potential buyers better assess the energy efficiency of buildings.
Similarly, an Audit and Retrofit Bill will require owners of buildings boasting more than 50,000 sq ft of floor space to audit their buildings’ energy efficiency performance every 10 years, and conduct necessary renovations if they fail to meet basic standards.

Read the full story.

Do you have experience and expertise with the topics mentioned in this content? You should consider contributing to our WTWH Media editorial team and getting the recognition you and your company deserve. Click here to start this process.