Local Law 95 – Building Efficiency Letter Grade

Buildings that are qualified for an ENERGY STAR score and are 25,000 square feet or bigger – those subject to Local Law 84 – must display energy grades starting in 2020. The Portfolio Manager Platform of ENERGY STAR will issue scores that compare building energy performance to those of similar structures in similar climates. Building Energy Efficiency Ratings are calculated using energy consumption rather than emissions.

These laws require that buildings that fall under the square footage requirement of 25,000 square feet or larger to publicly display energy scores, in the same fashion as restaurant health scores. Scores will be based on energy benchmarking data from Local Law 84, also known as the NYC Benchmarking Law.

Those buildings not eligible for ENERGY STAR score generation are exempt, and do not need to post energy grades (Contact US link here to find out more on ENERGY STAR eligibility). All ENERGY STAR-eligible buildings covered by Local Law 84 must present energy performance grades, regardless of the building owner’s project financing/affordability status.

Ratings include a 1–100 ENERGY STAR® score and corresponding A–D letter grade. ENERGY STAR® scores are assigned based on building occupancy type, with building performance measured against that of similar buildings.