NYC Buildings Gain Three Energy Star Points in Year Two

Admitting you have a problem is the key first step in fighting addiction, and New York City has clearly taken that step with respect to its fossil fuel habit. With the September 25, 2013 release of energy use data for over 9,000 buildings, New York is continuing its leadership role in the realm of energy benchmarking and disclosure (for background on this issue, see Energy Reporting: It's the Law). While just the largest 2% of city properties are obligated to report under Local Law 84, they represent 45% of the city’s total floor area, and 48% of its energy use.

Multifamily included for the first time

This year represents the first time that multifamily buildings are included, more than tripling the number of properties in the disclosure list. Even without those buildings, New York City’s annual release of information was the largest disclosure of it kind in the world, providing a rich vein of actual building energy use data for policymakers and researchers alike.