The law
Last year the New York City Council passed a package of laws called The Climate Mobilization Act. The package of laws includes items relating to financing, renewable energy generation and storage, and green roofs.
Local Law 97, otherwise known as the Building Emissions Law, is the cornerstone of the groundbreaking legislation. Buildings contribute nearly 70 percent of NYC’s carbon emissions, and they’re responsible for about 95 percent of electricity use in the city, much of which is used for heating and cooling.
Go big or go home
The City’s goal is to reduce overall carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050. It’s one of the most ambitious climate change laws on the books. The City’s first big milestone arrives in 2030: by then, New York buildings will need to collectively cut their carbon emissions by 40 percent. Intermediate reductions begin in 2024.
An estimated 50,000 residential and commercial buildings are subject to a carbon cap, or intensity limit (measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide per square foot). Buildings larger than 25,000 square feet in the 10 Building Code Occupancy Groups are regulated under the law. Mixed-use buildings have limits that reflect their specific percentage of occupancy groups. Income-limited units and hospitals are regulated differently with a separate timeline.
Unlike many other cities with climate change laws, the carbon caps are enforceable in New York City. Building owners will be levied fines of $268 for every ton of carbon dioxide over their cap. Go one ton over, and it’s a nominal fee. But some of the city’s biggest carbon emitters could face penalties of $1 million or more if they don’t comply with the new regulations. Skipping required reporting will also result in hefty monthly fines.
Where the rubber meets the road
Initial carbon savings can be achieved through operational and controls changes. Urban Green estimates those adjustments will require an investment of $1.75- to $2.7-billion.
However, the vast majority of carbon savings will come from infrastructure retrofits to the tune of $14.8- to $21.6-billion.
Windows can be a big part of that savings equation. There’s a reason the Empire State Building built a temporary window factory onsite to retrofit 6,514 double-hung windows with high performance models ten years ago. That move reduced energy costs for the iconic Art Deco landmark by more than $400,000 per year.
Broken, single pane, or even older replacement windows can be swapped out for high performance units that utilize low-e coatings to reduce thermal gain or argon-filled panes to improve the insulating capacity. Not only does this save carbon emissions, but it saves on heating and cooling bills and improves occupant comfort.
The Climate Mobilization Act recognizes the immense financial investment required to reduce the City’s carbon footprint. It included a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing tool to offer building owners up to 100 percent funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The PACE loan has low interest rates, repayment terms of 30 years, and little to no upfront costs. The loans are repaid through the property’s tax bill, do not balloon, and remain with the building upon sale.
Modern materials and technologies mean that retrofitting or replacing windows doesn’t mean sacrificing aesthetics. Historical Windows has a deep stable of high performance windows and doors for new construction, Landmark, and contemporary projects.
