VIEWPOINT: NYC Building Owners Should Get a Jump Start on Energy Conservation Code Compliance

The following Viewpoint was written by Drew Maggio, technical director at Highmark

Local building and construction regulations are constantly evolving to keep up with the needs of communities and their inhabitants. Complying with local regulations, let alone having a comprehensive understanding of them, can be a challenging undertaking for building owners and engineers, and the consequences of failing to comply can be quite costly.

To ensure the necessary measures are made in a timely manner, it’s paramount that an organization has a strategy to monitor, analyze, address and meet new and evolving regulatory requirements.

Consider the new codes New York City enacted in January to promote energy efficiency, reliability and cost savings, for example. On March 30, the city will begin enforcing the New York City Energy Conservation Code (NYCECC), which was enacted along with the NYC Existing Building Code (EBC) back in January. While projects with applications filed on or before March 29th, 2026, can continue review under the 2020 NYCECC, organizations planning work after March 30th, 2026, should plan to comply with the 2025 NYCECC standards. Existing buildings will not be impacted by the EBC, which offers building operators flexible compliance options, until 2027, but making plans to ensure regulatory needs are met ahead of time is still a smart idea.

NYCECC specifically helps the city standardize and match its code to the greater state’s 2025 Energy Conservation Construction Code. The code mandates air leakage testing, limits the use of backup electric resistance heating systems to temperatures below 17°F, and sets demand response requisites for commercial water heating and lighting, improving energy efficiency.

Building operation teams ought to have a thorough approach in place to meet upcoming requirements in NYC. Luckily, there are a myriad of options when it comes to adopting solutions to meet these energy conservation standards.

One of the primary general requirements focuses on tightening the building’s thermal envelope. Properly sealing a building envelope can have significant effects on the size, cost, and operation of mechanical systems. In addition to improving the insulation requirements of windows and doors, the NYCECC has strengthened requirements for mitigating thermal bridges. Thermal bridging occurs when parts of a building interior are in contact with the envelope, allowing heat to leak out of the building. Approaches like Passive House’s principled construction, which focuses heavily on energy efficiency standards and emphasize envelope sealing, have grown in popularity in NYC.

Energy efficient and cost-effective solutions like heat pumps can also improve resilience during storms or heat waves, taking strain off the grid and improving reliability for users. There are numerous types of heat pumps to choose from depending on the application, location and building type. 

To address high energy demand for heating and cooling buildings can utilize a process called energy recovery. The most common type of energy recovery is a device called an Energy Recovery Ventilator, which exchanges heat between incoming outdoor air and outgoing exhaust air, lightening the load on air-conditioning systems. Buildings can also consider utilizing recovered thermal energy from wastewater to heat fresh, clean water for sinks and showers. New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has promoted energy recovery as a pathway to minimize buildings’ energy use to facilitate decarbonization. NYSERDA also offers their “FlexTech” program, providing subsidized technical assistance to buildings looking to improve their energy efficiency. 

Building and construction regulations are constantly evolving, in New York City and across the nation. Being prepared and maintaining a strong base-level understanding of code requirements saves organizations precious time and resources, while achieving their project objectives by avoiding unnecessary delays. 

Now is the right time to start working on a compliance strategy to eliminate unnecessary headaches and contribute to broader energy efficiency goals throughout your city.

Drew Maggio serves as the technical director of HIGHMARK, a company supporting building decarbonization, electrification, cost savings by bringing innovative building-efficiency technologies to New York City. He joined the company in 2023 and has since played a role in augmenting the business through his expertise in documentation, process automation, and strategic engagement with industry groups such as NESEA, NY-Geo, NY Passive House and NYSERDA.