Sufficient amounts of research is validating every day that building emissions make for primary GHG contributors. Statistically speaking, buildings are responsible for 39% of carbon dioxide emissions as per the US Green Building Council. Devising a strategy to counter the same is the inevitable next step but to be able to holistically and consequentially achieve it mandates truly understanding what exactly is the carbon footprint of a building.
Understanding Carbon Emissions that make the “Footprint”
Everything has a carbon footprint, humans, cars, businesses as a whole, and most definitely buildings. “Carbon emissions or carbon footprint of a building is measured by totaling the carbon dioxide that is emitted into the atmosphere during the production of the energy that is consumed by a building for all its operations.” The emissions are usually a result of fuel combustion. They occur on-site as a result of an oil/gas boiler and off-site perhaps at a power plant to generate current.
Simply put, it is the CO2 that is released by your building through all kinds of emissions. These are:-
| Operational building emissions | Embodied carbon of a building |
| Powering Lighting HVAC | Carbon generated through manufacturing Building materials Transportation Construction |
Moreover, another category can be that of direct and indirect emissions.
| Direct Emissions | Indirect Emissions |
| When carbon dioxide is directly released as a form of combustion due to the utilization of equipment. Examples revolve around heaters, burners, furnaces, etc. It’s important to understand that all these logistical functions that are fossil fuels based have renewable alternatives in the form of solar photovoltaic systems. | Emissions that cannot be sourced to the locale of the building make the indirect emissions. For example, if you have outsourced your energy supply, then emissions will be attributed to the power station. It’s important to realize that matters are still in our control with alternatives that are energy efficient. |
To ensure decarbonization for good, stringent and extremely ambitious legislation was passed in the name of the Climate Mobilization Act which is a comprehensive set of “Local Laws” which mandate compliance and are highly penal in cases of a lack of it. It was designed to reduce New York City’s overall greenhouse gas emissions by 40% (2030), and up to 80% (2050). With being one year closer to the CMA, it’s high time the city is well prepared to act on the commitments.
How do you exactly measure carbon?
Star Portfolio Manager is a good place to start after having submitted energy benchmarking data onto it by May 1 to comply with the LL84. The tool will then convert the submitted data into the building’s energy usage into carbon emissions. These figures are not the entire prerequisite of LL97, but they are a good place to start to compare your carbon limits with those of 2024 and 2030 (as long as the units used don’t vary).
After finding the total carbon emissions in the Portfolio Manager, you’ll have to calculate the carbon emissions limit to gauge whether or not you’re complying. Find your building type and simply multiply the limit by the gross square footage, and you will derive the permissible limit. If the total is higher than the limit, then you are in the need of immediate interventions
To facilitate the ambitious goal, a series of bills were passed. The centerpiece of the legislation is Local Law 97, among other laws. This is the part of the bill which specifically mandates what the greenhouse emissions limits are for each building type. More than 50,000 buildings will get impacted overall. In 2024, about 25% of those will be directly affected by the carbon emissions limit, and practically every building in NYC by 2030. A typical commercial office building in midtown Manhattan of 250,000 sq ft. producing over 1.5 tons of stipulated carbon limits will be looking at a fine of over $100,000, and progressively for each year that follows.
If navigating the whole emissions, compliance, and maintenance landscape seem overwhelming, we recommend The Cotocon Group for their demonstrated history in rendering green engineering services.
