New York City’s Department of Buildings wields great influence over how structures in the city are built and maintained, presiding over everything from building inspections to permits, building codes and materials. While that area of go…
On December 8, 2009, the City Council passed Local Law 84 as part of New York City’s Greener, Greater Buildings initiative. Article 309 of this law requires all residential and commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet and city build…
Between 2011 and 2013, owners and managers of existing properties in New York City will start to feel the impact of two energy-related laws signed by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at the end of 2009. Many property professionals might stil…
Little by little, the world seems to be getting greener. As part of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s Greener, Greater Buildings Plan, new legislation has been passed that among many other measures, requires all of the city’s private buildin…
New legislation and a push by the city fathers to make New York City buildings more energy-efficient has thrown the gauntlet down for New Yorkers to also become more energy-conscious. Wouldn’t it be great if residents decided to take th…
The Big Apple is looking awfully green these days. After all, there’s so much going on in the city to make it greener, more environmentally conscious and more energy efficient than ever before. A few years ago, New York City was named o…
Mom was right. Her admonition to “Turn out the lights when you leave the room!” is as valid today as it was a generation ago. And yet many co-op and condo buildings, while energy-conscious in so many ways, seem to feel it’s better to jus…
The buzzword in energy today is “sustainability.” More than the installation of the sexiest new technology, sustainability is a melding of renewable energy and energy efficiency. It’s a blend that forms the foundation of the Northeast Su…
It will come as no surprise to anyone that between the cars, industry, residents’ power needs, and other energy use, New York City has a pretty mammoth carbon footprint. According to a recent carbon inventory of the city, nearly 80 perc…
Energy efficiency and green improvements to existing buildings have often received less public attention and political play than “sexier” green initiatives such as renewable energy generation with solar panels and windmills or LEED-cert…