NEW YORK CITY – Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Sept. 28 that New York City will offer free retrofit assistance and guidance to apartment building owners as part of the city’s efforts to make buildings more energy efficient.
Through the program, NYC Retrofit Accelerator, a team of “efficiency advisers” will provide owners with tips, best practices and financial options for retrofitting their properties. The program is part of the mayor’s plan to cut the city’s greenhouse emissions by 80 percent by 2050. According to the mayor’s office, NYC buildings produce nearly 75 percent of the city’s emissions. The Retrofit Accelerator is expected to assist retrofits in 1,000 buildings per year, with a projected drop in greenhouse gas emissions of one million metric tons in 10 years. De Blasio’s administration has said that the retrofit plan could save New Yorkers $350 million a year in utility costs and add 400 construction jobs.
The Retrofit Accelerator program is designed especially with owners of affordable apartment housing in mind. The program will make use of the data generated from the city’s benchmarking ordinance as well as the energy audit and retro-commissioning ordinance to target and reach out to owners whose buildings are most in need of water and energy efficiency upgrades.
The Mayor’s Office of Sustainability has partnered with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the NYC Housing Development Corporation to reach a wider network of affordable housing properties. The Building Energy Exchange will serve as the physical resource center for owners, operators and industry stakeholders – the Exchange will have classes, events, and exhibits related to energy efficiency.
Source: AM New York, City of New York, NRDC Switchboard