Local Law 87 requires large New York City buildings to complete an energy audit and retro-commissioning once every ten years and report the results to the Department of Buildings. The report is called an Energy Efficiency Report, or EER.
Who must comply
LL87 covers buildings over 50,000 gross square feet, two or more buildings on the same tax lot that together exceed 100,000 square feet, and two or more buildings held in a condominium that together exceed 100,000 square feet.
When your report is due
The filing year is set by the last digit of the building's tax block number. A building on block 1237 files in years ending in 7, so 2027, then 2037. Reports are due by December 31 of the filing year. Use our LL87 deadline finder to check yours.
What the Energy Efficiency Report includes
- An energy audit that meets ASHRAE Level II, covering base building systems, with energy conservation measures, their costs, savings and payback.
- Retro-commissioning of base building systems: testing that equipment and controls operate as intended, and correcting deficiencies such as broken sensors, leaking valves, failed steam traps or wrong schedules.
- Required documentation prepared by qualified energy auditors and retro-commissioning agents and filed with DOB.
Penalties
Failing to file can bring penalties of $3,000 for the first year and $5,000 for each additional year. More costly in practice is a rushed audit that misses savings and has to be redone.
How to prepare
- Start 9 to 12 months before your deadline. Retro-commissioning corrections take time.
- Collect 24 months of utility bills, drawings, equipment schedules and maintenance logs.
- Coordinate with your LL97 planning. The LL87 audit is the best source of measures to meet the 2030 emissions limits.
- Check incentives before you implement anything the audit recommends.
Need an LL87 audit? See our NYC energy audit services or request a proposal.