New York’s Greener, Greater Buildings Plan and What it Means for Building Permits

Buildings in New York account for 75 percent of NYC’s carbon emissions. To respond to this huge carbon footprint Michael Bloomberg’s administration launched the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan in 2009. These new laws are the most ambitious set of energy efficient codes in the nation and will touch all parts of the construction industry in New York.

While great for the environment, this plan might not be so great for architects and engineers navigating the new maze of complex codes and years worth of updates that address everything from cranes to smoking rules on the job site.

These new laws mandate that energy code now must apply to ALL construction projects. Part of the new code requires all builders to provide annual energy efficiency benchmarks to the DOB that will be made available to the public.

This means a lot of new paper work and environmentally friendly permit applications for you, the architect and engineer. And you probably know what we’re talking about since 2011 Benchmarking stats were due just a few months ago in December.

If you found yourself overwhelmed last year with the added planning and paper pushing due to the Greener Greater Buildings Plan, you should consider working with an expeditor like S & M Expediting. Our experts offer guidance and advice on how to comply to with green building standards that include things like converting boilers to No 2 oil and obtaining plan approval for solar system installation in New York City.

If you’d like to learn more, call us today at 718-833-2333.