Local Law 97 (“LL97”) is a groundbreaking step in New York City’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and striving toward carbon neutrality. For building owners and managers, it means facing new challenges and compliance requirements, but also presents a valuable opportunity to invest in sustainable upgrades that can improve energy efficiency, lower costs, and enhance tenant satisfaction. This post takes a deeper dive into how your building can comply with LL97 and create a sustainable, energy-efficient environment for the long term.

What is LL97?

LL97, passed as part of the New York City Climate Mobilization Act in 2019, sets ambitious emissions targets for buildings over 25,000 square feet. At the heart of LL97 is a commitment to making NYC carbon neutral by 2050. These emissions limits will affect most commercial, residential, and mixed-use buildings in the city, and non-compliance could result in significant fines. With LL97, New York City aims to dramatically reduce its overall carbon footprint and move closer to carbon neutrality.

Key steps toward compliance

Navigating LL97 may seem complex, but with the right approach, you can transform your building into a high-performing, low-emissions asset. The key to compliance lies in understanding the regulations and taking steps to upgrade your building’s energy performance.

• Assess current energy usage

The first step in achieving compliance is understanding where your building currently stands in terms of energy consumption and emissions. This requires a detailed energy audit to evaluate how much energy your building uses, where it’s being wasted, and how emissions are generated. Using tools like energy management systems can provide valuable insights into your building’s operations and identify areas for improvement.

• Upgrade building systems

HVAC systems, lighting, and insulation are major contributors to energy consumption. Upgrading these systems is essential to reducing your carbon footprint. High-efficiency heating and cooling systems, LED lighting, and better building insulation can significantly lower energy use and emissions. Additionally, retrofitting buildings with more efficient windows, better ventilation systems, and smarter automation can further enhance performance.

• Integrate renewable energy sources

To meet LL97’s emissions targets, buildings will increasingly need to incorporate renewable energy solutions. Solar power is one of the most popular options for buildings to generate clean, renewable energy. Installing solar panels not only reduces reliance on grid electricity but also contributes directly to lowering carbon emissions. Additionally, integrating wind energy, if feasible, can help your building become more self-sufficient and environmentally responsible.

• Implement smart technology

Modern technology, such as building automation systems, can help leverage energy usage across your property. Smart thermostats, sensors, and lighting systems automatically adjust to occupancy and environmental conditions, ensuring that energy is used efficiently. These systems are essential to maintaining continuous, real-time control over your energy consumption, which is crucial for staying compliant with LL97.

• Focus on energy efficiency

Incorporating energy-efficient appliances, upgrading lighting systems, and ensuring that equipment is running at optimal levels will help reduce emissions. Even small upgrades, like switching to low-energy appliances, can make a significant difference. Every step you take toward improving energy efficiency contributes to compliance with LL97.

Why compliance with LL97 is essential

Complying with LL97 is not just about avoiding penalties—it’s about positioning your property for future success. By reducing energy consumption and investing in sustainability, you are not only complying with regulations but also creating a more desirable space for tenants. Energy-efficient buildings are becoming more attractive to environmentally conscious consumers and companies who focus on sustainability in their operations.

Moreover, energy-efficient upgrades lead to lower operational costs. Reduced energy consumption means reduced utility bills, which improves your building’s bottom line. Over time, these upgrades can pay for themselves, making the investment a smart financial decision in addition to an environmental one.

Final thoughts

Retransform offers a range of innovative solutions designed to help buildings achieve higher energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and stay on track for carbon neutrality. Secure, powered by Retransform, is a smart building ecosystem designed to empower buildings with digital tools, holistic data insights, and capabilities for advanced analytics, benchmarking, and automation.

One of its key features is the Compliance and Carbon Emissions Tracker, which enables users to track and monitor carbon emissions to ensure they remain within the limits set by LL97. It identifies assets subject to LL97 requirements, calculates potential non-compliance fees, and simplifies the process of filing regulatory reports.

The Secure ecosystem also provides comprehensive energy emissions analytics, offering tools for benchmarking, efficiency scoring, grading, and generating Energy Star reports. A standout capability is its decarbonisation project modelling, which allows users to evaluate the environmental impact of proposed initiatives and compare the financial advantages of implementing these projects versus paying LL97 penalties.

About Retransform

Retransform, an Apex Group company, is a global real estate service provider offering Proptech, Technology Solutions and Business Managed Services to commercial, retail, residential, and corporate real estate customers. Retransform are experts in developing and implementing state-of-the-art technology tailored to their clients’ business requirements. With offices across North America, Europe, the Middle East, India, and Australia, Retransform serves over 300 customers, supporting more than 2 billion sq. ft. of real estate globally.

Ready to take the next step toward a more sustainable future? Learn more and request a demo today!