AIANY Testimony to the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises on the City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality Zoning Text Proposal

AIANY testimony to the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises on City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality. AIANY recommended the following changes to the proposal:

1. Reconsider a 50% reduction from the ASHRAE 90.1. Instead, consider setting a very progressive yet potentially achievable reduction factor or adopting a tiered approach for energy reduction, such as 30% reduction for 3% area exclusion and 50% reduction for 5% area exclusion.
2. Amend EUI language from 38kbtu source EUI to 38kbtu site EUI. Consider EUI targets specific to building use, as energy use will differ significantly amongst different building uses. These targets could be similar to goals and thresholds set by other local laws.
3. Establish an expert group to review and refine the Ultra-Low Energy Building criteria.