Urban Green Council recently launched Metered New York, an online tool allowing New York City building owners and occupants to view their buildings’ energy and water use, see how it stacks up against others’, and find out how to improve efficiency.
The launch comes only months after Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Council called for commitments to reduce the city’s carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050.
“Cutting New York City’s greenhouse emissions must begin with our buildings, which account for 75 percent of our carbon pollution,” Russell Unger, executive director of Urban Green Council, said. "Metered New York lets New Yorkers know how their buildings are doing. It helps them understand whether their apartment or office building is contributing to—or combatting—the effects of climate change."
Four years ago, the city began requiring annual energy- and water-consumption data for buildings 50,000 sq ft or larger. Metered New York is intended to turn that data into a user-friendly resource. Users can:
- Look up an office or apartment building to see how their building stacks up in terms of energy and water efficiency.
- Compare buildings across New York City by type, age, and location.
- Learn about ways to improve performance, including applicable incentives from Con Edison.
Metered New York includes data on more than 2,400 city-owned properties, such as schools, and 12,000-plus private-sector properties over 50,000 sq ft. While those properties account for just 2 percent of the city’s building stock, they account for more than half of its square footage and almost 48 percent of its energy.
The website also includes resources such as case studies, “how-to” information, and training opportunities, with more features planned in the near future.
To access Metered New York, click here.