FirstService Energy: Efficiency Solutions For Your Property


 
Our FirstService Energy subsidiary helps our clients significantly enhance their building’s energy efficiency by recommending strategies to reduce energy and water consumption, costs, and emissions. Our energy experts consider all practical Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) to tailor the best solution for your property.
 

Incentive Funding

FirstService Energy has secured millions of dollars in energy incentives for our managed properties to help offset the cost of major efficiency projects, including co-generation (CHP) retrofits, LED lighting replacements, the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, chiller upgrades, and more. The volume of projects we oversee means our energy experts are well-versed in the programs that can provide incentive funding to our clients. Our experts can also help clients stack incentives, which sometimes can cover the entire cost of a project.
 

Reduced Energy Costs

The FirstService Energy aggregation program leverages the combined energy use of hundreds of properties managed by FirstService Residential to negotiate below-market rates for natural gas and electricity. Regulatory factors, economic forecasting, regional supply and demand, and seasonality are some examples of price influences and trends that our team stays on top of to help provide leading rates and cost savings to your community.
 

Local Law Compliance

New York’s expanding web of local laws and energy regulations can be difficult to navigate. Our energy team offers decades of compliance experience and helps our clients avoid costly fines and violations, while also curbing costs, consumption, and emissions.

Local Law 84 (LL84) requires annual benchmarking data to be submitted by owners of buildings with more than 50,000 square feet. Each year our energy efficiency experts perform a detailed benchmark analysis for our clients and the results are presented in a customized energy report that includes an annual potential savings model. This arms boards and building owners with measured data and practical recommendations when considering multiple efficiency solutions.
Local Law 85 (LL85), the second law in the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan, now requires buildings to meet the most current energy code for any renovation or alteration project. The requirement is based on a series of local energy laws, collectively called New York City Energy Conservation Code (NYCECC).
Local Law 87 (LL87) requires large buildings to complete an energy audit and retro-commission study, and to file a detailed report with New York City agencies. An energy audit is an analysis of a building’s energy use to identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption. Retro-commissioning is the process of ensuring that the energy systems in an existing building are installed as per the design intentions, functionally tested, and capable of being operated and maintained, according to the owner’s operational needs.
Local Law 88 (LL88) requires most mixed-use residential buildings larger than 25,000 square feet to upgrade lighting in common areas to current NYC energy code, install sub-meters for each non-residential tenant space exceeding 5,000 square feet and provide monthly energy-use statements to sub-metered tenants.
The Climate Mobilization Act (CMA) is a bundle of laws that sets annual emissions standards (carbon limits) for all buildings 25,000 gross square feet and above beginning in 2025. Each building’s carbon budget/cap is based on their defined occupancy type (multifamily, retail, etc.), the corresponding square footage of each space and the limits for each occupancy type as defined in the law. The central component of the CMA is Local Law 97 (LL97). Beginning May 1, 2025, every building will need to submit whole-building annual data from the previous calendar year. If the building goes over its emissions budget/cap, a fine will be assessed on the property.


Retrofit Analysis, Execution, and Financing

For buildings with efficiency opportunities that lack upfront capital, we offer several methods to obtain financing through vendors, banks, and other capital providers where the energy savings are greater than the total project cost, thereby enabling cash flow-positive projects to be undertaken by our clients. FirstService Energy has helped our clients save more than $25 million in energy costs while reducing the carbon footprint of our New York portfolio by more than 15 percent since 2010.

Energy Benchmarking

Each year, our energy efficiency experts perform a detailed benchmark analysis of your property’s energy performance. The results are presented to you in a customized energy report that includes an annual potential savings model. The report arms you with measured data and practical recommendations to help your board make informed decisions when considering efficiency strategies.

FirstService Energy helps our clients achieve additional savings through a multitude of efficiency opportunities:

  • Advanced control system monitoring
  • Electric submetering
  • Energy audits, inspections, and conservation measures
  • EV charging stations
  • Lighting upgrades
  • Preventive maintenance programs
  • Staff training on maximizing building system performance
  • Utility bill audits and budgeting guidance
  • Retro-commissioning

Learn more at www.firstserviceenergy.com

FirstService Energy is a NYSERDA Multifamily Performance Partner, a member of the 2024 NYSERDA Empire Building Challenge Cohort, a member of the NYC Mayor’s Carbon Challenge, and a participant in the US Department of Energy and HUD’s Better Buildings Challenge.

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