DOB ANNOUNCES SUSTAINABLE ROOF REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW BUILDINGS GO INTO EFFECT

Green roofs, rooftop solar arrays will now be required for most new buildings and major roof renovations in NYC

  The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) announced that, Local Law 92 of 2019 and Local Law 94 of 2019 require all new buildings and existing buildings undergoing certain major roof renovations to have a solar photovoltaic system, a green roof system, or a combination of the two. These systems must cover 100 percent of any applicable roof.

“In New York City, we are not shirking from the challenge of climate change,” said Buildings Commissioner Melanie E. La Rocca. “These new laws are a sea change in how we approach new buildings, and help make our city a national leader in reducing emissions. With the biggest energy team in the country, we are ready and able to be a resource and provide technical assistance to the real estate industry as we work together to tackle this challenge head on.”

“Today’s announcement is another example of the innovative and necessary changes New York City is continuing to make to address the threats of climate change,” said Deputy Mayor Laura Anglin. “We know buildings account for the vast majority of greenhouse gas emissions in New York City and these laws are another step to get the City carbon neutral by 2050.”

“These laws use the power of design and construction to dramatically increase renewable energy and storm water management throughout the city,” said Mark Chambers, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. “The leadership of the Department of Buildings in making this shift accessible to New Yorkers continues to be exemplary in bringing this work to life.”

Mayor de Blasio is committed to making NYC a global leader in the fight against climate change. Local Law 92 and Local Law 94 are components of the Climate Mobilization Act (CMA), which was passed by the City Council in April 2019, as part of the Mayor’s New York City Green New Deal and OneNYC 2050 plan.

In addition to new sustainable roof requirements for roofs, the CMA also established an Office of Sustainability within the Department, and has mandated additional requirements to improve the energy efficiency of buildings in NYC:

·         Buildings Mandate (Local Law 97 of 2019): The centerpiece of the Climate Mobilization Act, Local Law 97 requires all buildings larger than 25,000 square feet to meet ambitious carbon reduction targets.

·         Building Energy Efficiency Grade (Local Law 95 of 2019): Local Law 95 amends the ranges for how energy efficiency grades are calculated as required by Local Law 33 of 2018. Local Law 33 of 2018 required the display of energy efficiency scores and grades for larger buildings in New York City that are required to that annually benchmark their energy and water consumption. The energy label will be displayed near a public entrance and include both a letter grade and the energy efficiency score.

More information about DOB resources for and requirements for energy-efficient buildings can be found on the sustainability page of our website.