Page 26 - Green Builder MagazineJan-Feb 2019 HOTY Issue

URBAN SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMS

Large Municipality Winner: New York City

NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS
REENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS are a huge threat to the
planet’s health, and New York City unintentionally does
its share because of its massive building stock: CityLab
places the number at 1.1 million buildings, all of which
G emit CO . City o™cials estimate that 75 percent of its
2
greenhouse gas comes from those structures.
The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) is tasked with CREDIT: AURELIEN GUICHARD¥FLICKR
cutting that number down. Since 2013, DOB’s team of plan examiners has
worked to enforce the city’s eŒorts toward carbon emissions reduction.
“Before 2013, the energy code compliance program was in its
infancy,” says Gina Bocra, the city’s chief sustainability o™cer. “[The The Big Green Apple? Three-quarters of New York City’s greenhouse gas
examiners] were the only line of defense when it came to energy comes from its estimated 1.1 million buildings—an emissions total the
Department of Buildings is working to reduce.
consumption in our buildings.”
In the past half decade, the DOB has implemented numerous
programs designed to help the city make program on its climate
change goals. Those eŒorts include:
Full enforcement of the energy code prior to approval for new
buildingssomething few cities actually do, according to Bocra.
“Our plan examiners have raised awareness and understanding the CREDIT: NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS
energy code among applicants, resulting in thousands of buildings
in the city being compliant with the code, [and] saving New Yorkers
energy,” she says. “[This] means dollars in their pockets, as well as
securing a better future for all New Yorkers by working to reduce
the impacts of climate change.” A watchful eye. New York City Department of Buildings code enforcement
Creation of the Local Law 87 (LL87) Enforcement Unit. This officers have helped cut the city’s CO emissions by six percent since 2013.
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program took an unfunded mandate to a functional enforcement consumption to the city. “Since the LL84 team was brought on
program that has reviewed the energy efficiency reports for board, their support has resulted in an 80 percent reduction in non-
thousands of the city’s largest buildings, Bocra notes. To date, it compliance,” Bocra says. “[This] ultimately means better energy data
is estimated that the program has helped cut energy use in these transparency for building owners, helping them better understand
structures by up to 6 percent, a total that over time can double, how one building’s energy performance compares to another’s.”
based on national averages, Bocra says. Development of the Energy Code Inspections (ECI) team. In New
Establishing the Local Law 84 (LL84) Enforcement Unit. DOB York City, owners are obligated to perform energy code progress
established a dedicated unit to this program, which requires owners inspections on construction projects, but it often does happen, Bocra
of large buildings to report their annual energy usage and water notes. Changes are made in the ‰eld, and many builders do not know
how to keep up with the code. ECI now makes random inspections
at construction sites, increasing the awareness of the energy code
among builders and trades, and “ultimately is ensuring that what
CREDIT: NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS or laws, the New York City DOB is setting the pace on regulation of
was approved on the drawings is what is happening on the site.”
Whereas most municipalities do not actively enforce such codes

energy usage, according to Bocra. “Each of these programs has taken
innovation to get it oΠthe ground [and] to create the procedures and
resources, with the team using ingenuity to adapt and apply what

she says. “The team has overcome the challenges in creating new
programs and moving them to successful operations through
Air purity planning. Every day, Department of Buildings plan examiners they could learn from other units at DOB to these new programs,”
work to enforce New York City’s efforts toward carbon emissions reduction. collaboration, teamwork, dedication and passion.” GB

24 GREEN BUILDER January/February 2019 www.greenbuildermedia.com

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