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

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About RKB

RKB serves as a partner to real estate owners and property managers to implement practical and cost-effective energy projects that help buildings meet the requirements of local laws and regulations, and reduce operating costs. We design energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, manage implementation, and capture utility incentive funding.

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SERVICES

Technical Assistance & Engineering

We provide expert technical assistance and engineering solutions to optimize your property's energy performance and sustainability. Our services cover energy audits, retrofitting, and the integration of energy-efficient technologies for both existing buildings and new constructions.


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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" exception.


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Utility Incentives

Maximize utility incentives with RKB's expertise across several programs. We help you identify, apply for, and manage incentives, reducing the cost of your energy projects and enhancing their financial viability. We will leverage and stack the strongest programs to capture the most funding possible for a building.

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Turnkey Projects

RKB serves as a single contact complete complex projects through the supply of materials and equipment, installation, controls integration, incentive management, and commissioning & startup. This allows the owner to conserve their labor resources, for other priorities. RKB will include complete evaluations of the net changes in the building’s energy / carbon profile from the implementation of these projects, so the owner can understand the complete benefits of capital improvements.

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Designations

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

Market Insights

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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.
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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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