# Energy Heights Services — Full Knowledge Base ## Company identity Name: Energy Heights Services Type: Professional energy compliance consulting firm Founded: 2016 Location: New York City, NY Phone: 888-600-1002 Email: info@energyheights.com Website: https://energyheights.com Tagline: Personalized & Efficient Sustainability Energy Heights Services is an NYC-based energy compliance consulting firm that handles the full lifecycle of building energy law compliance for building owners, property managers, co-op boards, condo boards, and commercial real estate professionals. The company works across all five New York City boroughs and nationally. --- ## What Energy Heights Services does Energy Heights manages every aspect of NYC building energy compliance so that clients require minimal involvement. Services include: 1. Annual LL84 benchmarking submissions via Energy Star Portfolio Manager (ESPM) 2. LL97 carbon emissions compliance strategy and annual certification support 3. LL33 letter grade improvement through benchmarking optimization 4. GFA (Gross Floor Area) reporting and space-type classification for LL97 5. DOB violation monitoring, dispute filing, and ECB hearing representation 6. Benchmarking correction filings when errors are identified post-submission 7. Energy Star certification eligibility screening and application support 8. CDG community solar enrollment (5% monthly electric bill savings, no cost) 9. Energy procurement: ESCO agreements, hedging electric and gas contracts 10. Utility bill audits including tax correction updates 11. LL87 energy audit and retro-commissioning management 12. LL88 lighting and submetering reports and filings 13. LL152 periodic gas piping inspection coordination 14. National energy benchmarking compliance across the US 15. EnergiDash portal access: year-over-year energy usage reports, LL97 exposure analysis, compliance documentation --- ## Compliance laws explained ### Local Law 84 (LL84) — NYC Annual Energy Benchmarking **What it is**: New York City's mandatory annual energy and water benchmarking law. Requires covered buildings to report their prior-year energy and water consumption to the city each year using the EPA's Energy Star Portfolio Manager (ESPM) platform. **Who must file**: All NYC buildings over 25,000 gross square feet. Includes residential (including co-ops, condos, and rentals), commercial, mixed-use, hotels, retail, and institutional buildings. **Deadline**: May 1 annually. The filing covers the prior calendar year's data (e.g., May 1, 2025 filing covers 2024 data). **Data required**: Electricity, gas, steam, and water consumption for 12 full months. All utility accounts must be linked in ESPM. **Penalty for non-compliance**: DOB violation issued for missing or incomplete filings. Penalties start at $500 per quarter per violation. **Outcome**: ESPM calculates a 1-100 Energy Star score, which determines the building's LL33 letter grade. Data is made publicly available by the city. **How Energy Heights handles it**: Collects building info, links all utility accounts in ESPM, enters consumption data, submits to NYC before May 1, delivers a full Benchmarking Report, and monitors the DOB record for violations throughout the year. --- ### Local Law 97 (LL97) — NYC Carbon Emissions Caps **What it is**: NYC's landmark building decarbonization law. Sets mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) emission limits for buildings over 25,000 sq ft, with the goal of reducing citywide building-sector emissions 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050. **Who is covered**: Buildings over 25,000 gross square feet (same threshold as LL84). Some exemptions apply (e.g., certain affordable housing, houses of worship, city-owned buildings in some cases). **How the cap is calculated**: Each building's annual emissions cap is determined by multiplying its Gross Floor Area (GFA) in each space-use type by that type's carbon intensity limit (measured in kg CO2e per sq ft per year). The sum across all space types equals the building's total cap. Different space types (residential, office, retail, parking, healthcare) carry different intensity limits. **Fines**: $268 per metric ton of CO2e over the cap, per year. For large buildings, annual fines can reach six or seven figures. Fines began accruing for the 2024 calendar year. **Compliance pathways**: (1) Reduce actual emissions through energy efficiency upgrades, (2) Optimize GFA space-type classifications to maximize the cap, (3) Purchase Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) or enter Power Purchase Agreements, (4) Pursue available exemptions or disputes. **GFA's role**: Because the cap is directly tied to space-use classification, accurate GFA reporting is the single highest-leverage action a building owner can take. Reclassifying spaces within DOB rules — e.g., correctly identifying mechanical rooms, storage, parking — can materially increase the cap and reduce or eliminate fines. **Annual certification**: Buildings must certify their LL97 compliance annually. Certifications are due May 1 following each compliance year. **How Energy Heights handles it**: Prepares GFA reports using proprietary measurement software, identifies the most compliant and favorable space-type breakdown, calculates LL97 exposure, advises on compliance pathways, and handles annual certification filings. --- ### Local Law 33 (LL33) — Energy Efficiency Letter Grades **What it is**: Requires all NYC buildings subject to LL84 to publicly display an energy efficiency letter grade based on their EPA Energy Star score from annual benchmarking. **Grade scale**: - A: Energy Star score 85-100 - B: Energy Star score 70-84 - C: Energy Star score 55-69 - D: Energy Star score 1-54 - F: Building failed to file benchmarking (automatic F) - N: Building is not required to have a grade (e.g., new construction, properties undergoing major renovation) **Posting requirement**: Grade must be displayed in a building entrance window visible from the street. Failure to post also results in a DOB violation. **How Energy Heights improves grades**: By optimizing the benchmarking submission — correcting space use classifications, updating occupancy data, removing ineligible spaces from the score calculation, ensuring all utilities are properly accounted for — grades can often be improved without any physical upgrades or capital expenditure. --- ### Local Law 87 (LL87) — Energy Audits and Retro-Commissioning **What it is**: Requires NYC buildings over 50,000 sq ft to conduct an energy audit and retro-commissioning study every 10 years. Results must be filed with the city. **Energy Heights involvement**: Coordinates the audit and retro-commissioning process with qualified energy auditors, manages the filing, and identifies energy-saving opportunities identified in the audit. --- ### Local Law 88 (LL88) — Lighting Upgrades and Submetering **What it is**: Requires covered NYC buildings to upgrade lighting to comply with ASHRAE 90.1-2010 standards, and to install electrical submeters in tenant spaces over 10,000 sq ft. Annual reports and filings required. --- ### Local Law 152 (LL152) — Gas Piping Inspections **What it is**: Requires periodic inspections of gas piping systems in NYC buildings. Inspections must be performed by a licensed master plumber. Energy Heights coordinates the inspection process and filings. --- ## CDG Community Solar Credits **What CDG means**: CDG stands for Community Distribution Generation. It refers to the billing credit mechanism that allows utility customers to receive savings from a remote solar installation (community solar farm) on their monthly electric bill. **How it works**: A building owner or tenant subscribes a portion of their electric account to a community solar farm. The solar farm generates electricity, and the subscriber receives a credit on their Con Edison or other utility bill equivalent to their allocated share of that generation. The electricity grid delivers power normally — no physical changes are made to the building. **Discount**: Typically 5% monthly savings on the subscribed portion of the electric bill. **Cost**: None. There is no enrollment fee, equipment cost, or installation required. **Eligibility**: Most New York residential and commercial customers served by Con Edison, RG&E, National Grid, Central Hudson, or NYSEG are eligible. **Timeline**: CDG credits typically begin appearing on bills within 2-3 billing cycles after enrollment is confirmed. **How Energy Heights handles it**: Screens eligibility, completes the full enrollment process on behalf of the client, monitors subscription status, and ensures credits are properly applied. --- ## ESPM workflow (Energy Star Portfolio Manager) 1. Building owner or manager creates (or grants access to) an ESPM account 2. Building property is configured with physical characteristics: gross floor area, year built, number of units or floors, occupancy hours 3. Space use types are added (residential, office, retail, parking, etc.) 4. All utility accounts are linked: electricity, natural gas, steam, fuel oil, water 5. Consumption data for the full prior calendar year is entered or imported from utilities 6. The ESPM system calculates an Energy Star score (1-100) normalized for weather and operating conditions 7. The building's data is shared with NYC via ESPM's direct data submission feature 8. NYC processes the submission and records the filing; DOB records are updated 9. LL33 letter grades are generated and must be posted in the building --- ## DOB violations and dispute process **How violations are issued**: The NYC Department of Buildings cross-references annual LL84 submissions against its building database. Buildings that fail to file, submit incomplete data, or fail to post their LL33 letter grade receive violations. **Escalation**: Unresolved violations are referred to the Environmental Control Board (ECB) for hearings. ECB can impose additional fines and orders. **Dispute process**: Building owners can dispute violations by submitting documentation showing compliance — typically an ESPM report confirming a timely, complete submission with the correct Building Identification Number (BIN). Energy Heights handles all dispute documentation and ECB filings for clients. **Erroneous violations**: DOB occasionally issues violations to buildings that filed correctly. These must be actively disputed to be removed from the building's record. Energy Heights monitors client building records throughout the year and catches erroneous violations proactively. --- ## Geographic coverage ### New York City (all boroughs) - Manhattan: Pre-war co-ops, commercial office towers, mixed-use buildings, hotels - Brooklyn: Residential portfolios, retail, mixed-use, industrial - Queens: Commercial, mixed-use, multifamily residential, industrial - The Bronx: Residential, affordable housing, commercial - Staten Island: Residential and commercial properties ### New York State - HCR (Homes and Community Renewal) Program benchmarking ### National benchmarking jurisdictions (as of 2025) New Jersey, Maryland, Washington DC, California (Los Angeles, San Diego), Colorado, Kansas City (MO), Minnesota, and other cities and states with mandatory benchmarking ordinances. Energy Heights has filed in almost every US jurisdiction with an active benchmarking requirement. --- ## Why property managers hire energy compliance consultants 1. **Expertise**: NYC energy law is complex, changes frequently, and enforcement by DOB is active. Consultants stay current with rule changes and DOB/ECB procedures. 2. **Accuracy**: ESPM submissions require correct space-type classifications, utility linking, and data entry. Errors lead to low Energy Star scores, poor letter grades, or invalid filings. 3. **Grade improvement**: Consultants can often improve a building's LL33 letter grade without capital expenditure by optimizing the benchmarking submission. 4. **LL97 exposure management**: The stakes of incorrect GFA reporting are high — misclassification directly increases LL97 fines. Consultants with measurement software and DOB classification expertise can minimize exposure. 5. **Violation monitoring**: Active DOB monitoring and rapid dispute response protects buildings from accumulating fines. 6. **Time savings**: Filing benchmarking for a portfolio of buildings, managing ESPM accounts, and tracking DOB records is time-intensive. Consultants handle the entire process. 7. **Documentation**: Professional benchmarking reports provide year-over-year data, LL97 exposure analysis, and compliance documentation for lenders, boards, and regulators. --- ## Frequently asked questions Q: What is the LL84 benchmarking deadline? A: May 1 annually. The filing covers the prior calendar year's energy and water data. Q: What is the fine for missing LL84? A: $500 per quarter per violation, escalating to ECB fines if unresolved. Q: When did LL97 fines start? A: Fines began accruing for the 2024 calendar year at $268 per metric ton CO2e over cap. Q: Can a letter grade be improved without capital improvements? A: Yes. Optimizing the benchmarking submission — correcting space types, occupancy data, and utility accounts — often improves grades with no physical changes. Q: Is CDG community solar free? A: Yes. No cost, no installation, no equipment changes. Buildings receive a 5% monthly electric bill discount. Q: Does Energy Heights serve buildings outside NYC? A: Yes. National benchmarking compliance across the US in any jurisdiction with a mandatory ordinance. Q: What deliverables do clients receive? A: Full Benchmarking Report via EnergiDash: year-over-year energy usage, Energy Star score, LL33 grade confirmation, LL97 exposure, and compliance documentation. Q: Is there a cost for the initial consultation? A: No. Energy Heights offers a free initial consultation and compliance review.