Jordan Cohen, ERS, for Zondits
It is now easier than ever to find out how the energy efficiency of your large NYC multifamily building compares to similar buildings. Using the Urban Green Council’s (UGC’s) Metered New York database, you can search for your building address to see its ENERGY STAR score, energy and water usage, and greenhouse gas emissions per square foot. The ENERGY STAR score will show how a building’s energy efficiency rates in comparison to similar buildings across the country. Want to know how your neighboring condo or co-op compares? Simply search the building address and compare the results. The UGC encourages board members to reach out to their super or property manager to see how they can better their efficiency and savings. They also encourage them to collaborate with other local boards to see what steps they have taken to be more efficient in their buildings. Another benefit of the database is that boards will be able to see how their efficiency changes from year to year and how the changes they implement affect their scores over time.
Check Your Building’s Energy-Efficiency Score
Habitat, February 13, 2017
Energy Star scores for 2014, which rate a building’s energy efficiency relative to comparable buildings across the country, have been released for multifamily New York City buildings, including larger co-ops and condos, the Urban Green Council reports.
“We’re finally able to provide information in context,” says Sean Brennan, the nonprofit council’s research manager. “We can now show a building’s Energy Star score and compare it to similar buildings. If you’re using more energy, your board should talk to the super and property manager, and see if there are courses they can take. You might also talk to other co-op boards in the neighborhood and find out what they’re doing to save energy and water.” Boards might also investigate such programs as the city’s Retrofit Accelerator or, for smaller co-ops and condos, Community Retrofit NYC.
Through a database called Metered New York, it’s possible to type in a street address and learn a building’s Energy Star score, which ranges from an inefficient zero to a pristine 100. The score incorporates each building’s location, size and energy usage into the calculation. The city’s median score is 55, which means its buildings are slightly more energy-efficient than the national average. New York’s larger buildings – 50,000 square feet and up – realized 6 percent total energy savings and 8 percent carbon savings from 2010 to 2013.