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Why did the energy grade for my building get degraded [from 91 to 87] on October 1st?

Energy grades are based on a building’s aggregate energy consumption, calculated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.

This is updated annually, under Local Law 33 of 2018 and Local Law 95 of 2019. The most recent grades were released on October 1, 2022, from benchmarking data collected in 2021 and submitted in May 2022.

It is possible that the energy consumption or efficiency of your building changed in 2021, in comparison to 2020, and so the building score went down. These statistics include energy consumption data from:

  • Individual apartment units,
  • Mechanical equipment required to operate the building,
  • Lighting throughout all common areas of the property, and
  • Any additional components within the property (i.e. ground floor retail, medical centers, community facilities, etc.).

The total energy consumed is then divided by its total square footage to generate your building’s ENERGY STAR score, ranging from 0-100, which then corresponds to a letter grade from F to A. The grade helps compare energy use in your building to that of similar buildings. (For more about energy grades, see our previous article on energy benchmarking.)

Fortunately, since this is updated annually, there are ways to bring the score up again for next year! While it is hard to control for individual apartment usage, some options to bring the overall score down include:

  • Upgrading to LED lighting in common areas
  • Fixing any issues with the building envelope and heating system
  • Upgrading mechanical equipment to more energy-efficient models

If you need assistance navigating benchmarking and other code changes, or want to discuss how to make your project more efficient and sustainable, please reach out for a consultation with Outsource Consultants.


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