Energy Management, Local Law Compliance, and Cost Savings Strategies for Building Owners

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About RKB

RKB serves as a consulting partner to building owners, property managers, and real estate professionals to plan energy-efficiency initiatives and navigate benchmarking, carbon emissions reporting, and Retro-commissioning.


RKB’s core team of technical professionals assists with developing Decarbonization Plans to reduce energy consumption and costs. We will refer vendors as needed for the various efforts necessary for buildings to meet their reduction targets and will leverage lucrative utility incentives for the owner in the process.     


The RKB Team focuses on efficient and methodological execution, keeping within our area of expertise, to ensure we deliver on our promises. Maintaining a lean team keeps us accountable and responsive to our clients’ needs.

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SERVICES

Technical Assistance & Decarbonization

Not only do energy cost continue to rise, but the penalties associated with local mandates such as Local Law 97 necessitate the reduction of buildings’ energy consumption. We provide the technical assistance needed to develop sound Decarbonization Plans to optimize your property's energy performance. Our services cover on-site surveys, detailed engineering calculations, conceptual designs, and reports.




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Local Law Compliance

Ensure your buildings comply with local energy laws, including Local Law 97, 88, 84 and 87, among others. Our team offers assessments, reporting, and strategic planning to meet current regulations and prepare for future standards. For Local Law 97, we will help leverage "Adjustments" options and other pathways to compliance such as the "Good Faith Effort" exception.


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Utility Incentives

Maximize utility incentives with RKB's expertise across several programs throughout New York City, New Jersey, and other areas throughout the United States. We help you identify, apply for, and manage incentive packages, reducing the cost of your energy projects. We will leverage and stack the strongest programs to capture the maximum funding possible.







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Project Management

A main component of all the decarbonization work required for buildings involves the facilitation and management of efforts required to implement energy projects. It involves more than just calling a contractor to replace a piece of equipment. RKB maintains a wide network of contractors that are capable and qualified, reliable, and cost-effective to accomplish what is needed. We can assist with establishing the SOW, managing & leveling bids, scheduling, and verifying the completion of energy measures. 

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Designations

As part of our commitment to excellence, we maintain several partnerships and certifications

Market Insights

A stack of papers tied together with a string on a table.

Unlocking the “Good Faith” Exception to LL97 Compliance

By David Chen • June 1, 2024
Flexibility: NYC implemented a “good faith” exception since lawmakers recognize how complicated decarbonizing a city can be. This law gives owners more time to make the required changes.
A tall building with balconies and a blue sky in the background

Article 321: 1-year Return on the Cost of Compliance

By David Chen • April 29, 2024
Local Law 97’s Article 321 track applies to rent-regulated multifamily buildings and houses of worship. It requires that buildings either comply with the 2030 LL97 limit in 2024 or buildings sufficiently satisfy/implement 13 prescriptive energy measures.
Lightning strikes over the empire state building in new york city

Colombia to New York City - Local Law 97

March 30, 2024
The tools available to building owners for implementing capital improvements are as strong as ever. As an Engineer with experience in Energy Management & Intelligence Consulting for Real Estate companies across Colombia, it has been intriguing to dive into the world of Local Law 97 and building decarbonization in New York City. Whereas private organizations in South America implement sustainability practices for the primary objective of energy cost savings, as seems to be the tradition throughout the US, New York City looks to have many more tools and resources at their disposal. The opportunities for buildings to get a competitive edge in quality and operation are better than ever. Past projects I have worked on that have reduced operating costs, include optimizing a 29-MW cogeneration plant, implementation of variable-speed controls for process pumps, and load shifting from gas boilers to heat pump system for a hospital campus. These projects provided the owners with GHG reductions of over 200 tCO2/year. In the Northeast U.S., these projects seem like they would also be attractive capital improvements on the basis of energy cost savings alone. In my short time in NYC, I’ve supported the design and implementation of HVAC system optimizations, steam trap & heating system improvements, and lighting projects in my short time in NYC to date. These projects have become especially viable in 2024 when you stack the benefits of: Cost savings from upgrades to offset rising energy costs . Avoided Local Law 97 penalties and/or Beneficial Electrification credit. Accurate quantification of maintenance improvements from reduced loads or run hours. Incorporating all available utility incentives and grants . Optimizing equipment selections for Demand Response which has growing enrollment rates. Utilizing 0% financing programs currently available to owners. It seems like the challenges for buildings in NYC are no longer as much about about how to make the projects viable, but which to prioritize to get the strongest benefits. I’m thrilled to be able to bring another perspective to real estate owners in NYC and help them leverage all the tools available to make otherwise overlooked projects, viable. -Arnold Merino
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