Why are some boroughs better at benchmarking? Awareness is just one of several answers, according to city compliance officials.
Owners of buildings over 50,000 square feet were required to submit 2010 benchmarking data by Aug. 1, 2011 (with a later extension to Dec. 31) to comply with Local Law 84. Subsequent analysis of the first year results revealed that the focus on large buildings was likely partially responsible for the high compliance rate of 75%.
For example, Manhattan alone houses over 40% of the large properties required to benchmark in the first year, leading to more widespread awareness and an 83% compliance rate. Staten Island, which has the fewest covered properties, had the lowest compliance rates.
Larger properties are also more likely to participate in city-wide organizations, have access to more resources, and employ sophisticated management, the study authors note, saying that the data “suggests that centralized communication channels facilitated compliance and that more outreach is needed outside of Manhattan.”
