New York City Energy Benchmarking Law Leads To Building Savings

NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Energy Infotech NYC, a new not-for profit organization, brought together leaders at the intersection of energy and information technology to address the topic, "Benchmarking & Building Systems," and the process of going from the required benchmarking of energy usage for buildings 50,000 square feet and up (Local Law 84) to generating savings in those buildings.  According to panel moderator and Barrett Capital Managing Director Barry Korn, "building owners and managers must develop a plan that goes from benchmarking to energy audits and installing building management systems to achieve savings at their building level."  The panelists confirmed that benchmarking energy usage is a good start, but pointed out that utilities need to provide far more detailed data if meaningful energy and monetary savings are to be realized.

All of the panelists agreed that a necessary step on the road to greater energy efficiency is for property management companies and their energy analytics consultants "to get better data" from the utilities. The issue of how utilities nationwide and ConEd and National Grid locally can make good on the promise of Local Law 84 was highlighted at Energy Infotech NYC's December breakfast event held at the law firm of Loeb & Loeb. 

According to Jeff Perlman, President of Bright Power, while "benchmarking is great," the data as currently provided by the utilities is superficial, which makes "a sophisticated analysis of electricity usage tailored to specific clients very difficult."  Dave Unger, COO of US Energy Group feels that "given everyone is interested in energy efficiency, why is it so hard to get meaningful data?"  To use a baseball analogy, it's as if the utilities are providing simple batting average and home run data when property management firms and their analytics consultants need more in-depth, "Moneyball" style metrics.  Greenwich Energy Solutions President and COO Nick Speyer offered that the utilities have little incentive to provide better data as, "their IT systems are very complex and expensive to change." Speyer is not sure what will change things but he is sure that "the end user benefits from better data."

Energy Infotech NYC is composed of leading technologists, developers, entrepreneurs, and investors working to bring together the community participating in the Energy Infotech arena.  We foster the growth of a leading innovation ecosystem, centered in New York City, to leverage the unique capabilities in information technology, internet applications, media, and finance found here in the City. The group endeavors to link entrepreneurs to investors and pilot customers to tackle and probe critical issues, challenges, and opportunities in the Energy Infotech space. The goal is to position NYC as the global leader at the intersection of energy and IT.  The date for and subject of next breakfast event will be announced in early 2013.

If you'd like more information about this topic, Energy Infotech NYC, or to schedule an interview with Barry Korn, please call Lew Blaustein at 646/675.6656 or e-mail Lew at [email protected].  And visit Energy Infotech NYC online at www.eitnyc.com.

Contact: Lew Blaustein
Phone: 646-675-6656
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Energy Infotech NYC