By Alex Rippere Probably the most frequent question I get about the 2016 New York City Energy Conservation Code (2016 NYCECC) concerns vestibule requirements. Then again, this was also the most frequent question under both the 2011 and 2014 NYCECC. Designers don’t seem to like vestibules much as they take up… View more
By Alex Rippere It’s no secret that buildings are responsible for one-third of total energy consumption in the U.S. economy, and understanding ways to lower that consumption has been driving energy codes since 1975, with the release of ASHRAE Standard 90. Energy consumption is most easily understood in terms of dollars… View more
By Alex Rippere As a building code consultant, the most maddening energy code objection I’ve encountered in the past two years pertains to establishing a proposed exterior wall’s maximum thermal conductivity, aka the U-factor (lower=better). For example, an above-grade mass wall needs to meet a U-factor of no more than 0.104… View more
By Alex Rippere Courtesy of Local Law 87 of 2009, and codified in the 2014 Construction Codes, the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) requires Energy Efficiency Reports (EERs) on all buildings over 50,000 square feet or for multiple buildings on a single tax lot that total more than 100,000… View more
By Alex Rippere While previous articles have covered 2016 New York City Energy Conservation Code (NYCECC) changes regarding building envelope and HVAC performance, one key area not addressed is lighting. The energy code has always set requirements for lighting controls and maximum allowed lighting wattage-per-square-foot (i.e., Lighting Power Density or LPD)…. View more
By Alex Rippere With all the changes in the latest New York City Energy Conservation Code (2016 NYCECC), it can be helpful to review some of the fundamental compliance issues faced by architects, engineers, and owners. For instance, understanding your project’s type—alteration, addition, a combination of the two, or new construction—is… View more
By Alex Rippere Each month Alex Rippere will continue highlighting best practices for complying with the New York City Energy Conservation Code 2016. Last year we wrote extensively on the 2016 update to the New York City Energy Conservation Code (2016 NYCECC) and its impact on new projects. The code has… View more