Nearly 70% of NYC’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the city’s pre-war buildings, which are inefficient and in need of retrofitting. Building owners can lower their emissions by updating lighting, plug load, and HVAC strategies.
Nearly 70% of NYC’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the city’s pre-war buildings, which are inefficient and in need of retrofitting. Building owners can lower their emissions by updating lighting, plug load, and HVAC strategies.
Building emissions, which result primarily from NYC’s pre-war building stocks' antiquated heating, cooling, and lighting systems, account for nearly 70% of the city’s greenhouse gas discharge. Inefficient air conditioning systems, for example, result in excess annual emissions equivalent to approximately 100,000 additional cars on city streets. In response to buildings’ significant contribution to climate change, NYC recently enacted one of the most ambitious laws regulating building emissions. NYC’s Climate Mobilization Act will require buildings to cut emissions by 40 percent before 2030. To achieve this mandate, buildings will be retrofitted with energy-saving technologies that reduce carbon emissions such as smart thermostats and controls, led lighting, and improved insulation.