Building decarbonization software that keeps every emissions limit, filing date and penalty exposure on one record
Building decarbonization local law compliance is the annual work of proving that a covered building met the emissions or energy limit its city or state set for it. New York City Local Law 97 covers buildings over 25,000 gross square feet and charges $268 for every metric ton above the annual limit. Boston starts at 20,000 square feet or 15 residential units. Washington sets its first Tier 1 deadline at June 1, 2026. Neurobird holds the limit, the meter data and the filing on one record.
Neurobird Building Decarbonization Local Law Compliance in short
- Hold each building's coverage test and annual limit beside the meter data that proves the number
- Run one reporting calendar across every city and state rule the portfolio is actually subject to
- Show penalty exposure in dollars per year rather than in tons nobody can price
- 25,000 square feet Gross floor area above which a New York City building is covered by Local Law 97. Two or more buildings on the same tax lot are covered when they exceed 50,000 gross square feet together, as are condominium buildings governed by one board of managers. NYC Department of Buildings
- $268 Civil penalty per metric ton for the difference between a building's annual emissions limit and its reported emissions, applied to an owner who filed a report showing the limit was exceeded. NYC Administrative Code 28-320.6
- Pricing runs 179 to 1850 US dollars per month across 3 tiers. Early access is free.
What building owners and managing agents actually deal with
Why it stays broken
These laws are municipal and state, so there is no single regulator, no single form and no single deadline. New York City counts metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent against an occupancy based limit, Boston applies its rule at 20,000 square feet or 15 units, and Washington measures energy use intensity on a tiered schedule starting at 50,000 square feet. Property software was built for rent and maintenance, so the emissions arithmetic ends up in a consultant's file the owner cannot audit.
Under New York City Administrative Code 28-320.6 an owner whose building exceeds its annual emissions limit is liable for a civil penalty equal to the excess metric tons multiplied by $268.
Building decarbonization refers to activities and programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and is a key strategy for meeting California’s long-term climate goals.
Neurobird Building Decarbonization Local Law Compliance Compliance Platform
One record per building: the law that covers it, the limit it is measured against, the meter data behind the number, the filing that certified it, and the penalty exposure if the retrofit slips a year.
- 1Hold each building's coverage test and annual limit beside the meter data that proves the number
- 2Run one reporting calendar across every city and state rule the portfolio is actually subject to
- 3Show penalty exposure in dollars per year rather than in tons nobody can price
- 4Keep the certified filing, the supporting workbook and the adjustment application in one place
What changes with Neurobird Building Decarbonization Local Law Compliance?
The same work, read left to right: how it runs today, and how it runs once the record is in one place.
| Today | With Neurobird Building Decarbonization Local Law Compliance |
|---|---|
| The emissions limit is one spreadsheet and the utility data is another, so nobody can say today whether the building is over or under | Hold each building's coverage test and annual limit beside the meter data that proves the number |
| The filing deadline arrives before the registered design professional has numbers worth certifying | Run one reporting calendar across every city and state rule the portfolio is actually subject to |
| A portfolio spans three cities with three thresholds and the reporting calendar lives in one person's head | Show penalty exposure in dollars per year rather than in tons nobody can price |
Who is this for?
The same square footage, three different laws.
You own one covered building
One limit, one deadline, one penalty exposure. You need the number to be defensible before the design professional signs it.
You file on behalf of others
Each client asks the same question in a different month. You need one calendar and one workbook format across the whole book.
You are covered by several laws at once
New York City, Boston and Washington measure different things on different clocks. You need one record per building that knows which rule it lives under.
The compliance board, as your asset team would work it
Change a fuel mix and watch the annual limit gap and the penalty exposure move with it.
| Requirement | Status | Next due | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BERDO parcel 21-4471, 15 unit residential, first report due | current | in 42d | |
| BIN 1042318, office, 184,000 square feet, 61 metric tons over limit | due soon | in 9d | |
| BIN 3088741, multifamily, 92,400 square feet, under limit by 12 metric tons | current | in 120d | |
| Tier 1 asset, 238,000 square feet, Washington deadline June 1, 2026 | overdue | 3d late | |
| Tier 1 asset, 238,000 square feet, Washington deadline June 1, 2026 | current | in 64d |
Tick a requirement to file evidence against it.
How does Neurobird Building Decarbonization Local Law Compliance work?
Establish coverage
Square footage, tax lot, occupancy group and residential unit count decide which law applies, from the 25,000 square foot New York City threshold to the 20,000 square foot Boston rule.
Track the gap
Meter data rolls up against the annual limit month by month, so the shortfall is visible while there is still time to act on it rather than in the week the report is due.
File and defend
The certified report, the workbook behind it and any adjustment or mitigation application stay attached to the building, which is where an enforcement notice will arrive.
What the local laws say about building emissions
Coverage thresholds, filing dates, penalty rates and the state schedules that now sit beside them, taken from the statutes and agency pages themselves.
Gross floor area above which a New York City building is covered by Local Law 97. Two or more buildings on the same tax lot are covered when they exceed 50,000 gross square feet together, as are condominium buildings governed by one board of managers.
NYC Department of BuildingsCivil penalty per metric ton for the difference between a building's annual emissions limit and its reported emissions, applied to an owner who filed a report showing the limit was exceeded.
NYC Administrative Code 28-320.6Penalty per square foot of gross floor area for each month a required annual report stays unfiled, running through the 12 months after the deadline. No penalty applies to a compliant report filed within 60 days of its due date.
NYC Administrative Code 28-320.6.2Maximum fine for knowingly making a material false statement in a filing, which is also a misdemeanor carrying up to 30 days imprisonment, alongside a civil penalty of up to the same amount.
NYC Administrative Code 28-320.6.3Boston's BERDO threshold for non residential buildings, alongside residential buildings of 15 or more units and any tax parcel whose buildings sum to either figure. A mixed use parcel counts as residential when half or more of its gross floor area is residential.
City of Boston BERDOWashington's administrative penalty ceiling for failing to document compliance with the clean buildings standard, plus a continuing violation amount of up to $1 per year per gross square foot. Tier 1 deadlines run June 1, 2026 above 220,000 square feet, June 1, 2027 above 90,000, and June 1, 2028 above 50,000.
RCW 19.27A.210Building decarbonization local law compliance software questions, answered
Key terms
- What is building decarbonization local law compliance?
- It is the obligation to report, and in most cases to reduce, the emissions or energy use of a building under a city or state performance standard. New York City Local Law 97 is the best known: buildings over 25,000 gross square feet report annually and pay $268 for every metric ton above the limit. Boston, Washington State and a growing list of other jurisdictions run their own versions.
- What are the Local Law 97 penalties?
- Exceeding the annual limit costs the excess metric tons multiplied by $268. Failing to file costs up to $0.50 per square foot of gross floor area for each month the report is late, through the 12 months after the deadline, with a grace route for a compliant report filed within 60 days. A knowing material false statement carries a fine of up to $500,000.
When is the annual report due?
Article 320 buildings file with the New York City Department of Buildings by May 1 each year, and the report must be certified by a registered design professional. Article 321 buildings, which include certain affordable housing and houses of worship, file a compliance report on the same date.
Does this replace our energy consultant?
No. The consultant models the retrofit and the design professional certifies the filing. This holds the coverage test, the limit, the meter history, the filing and the penalty exposure in one place so both of them are working from the same numbers.
Can it handle a portfolio across several cities?
Yes. Each building carries its own coverage test and its own clock, so a New York City asset on a May 1 cycle and a Washington Tier 1 asset on a June 1, 2026 deadline sit in the same calendar without being forced into the same rule.
Why we are building this
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Where the requirement comes from
Primary sources, straight from the regulators.
- NYC Local Law 97 greenhouse gas emissions reductions Coverage tests, the covered buildings list, the May 1 filing date and the Article 320 and 321 split.
- Local Law 97 of 2019, full text The penalty sections themselves: the per ton rate, the per square foot late filing rate and the false statement offence.
- City of Boston, Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance Who is covered, what must be reported, and the alternative compliance payment route.
- RCW 19.27A.210, Washington clean buildings performance standard Tier 1 coverage, the three reporting dates and the penalty formula, including the pass through ban.
- US EPA, building performance standards Federal framing of how these local standards are designed and how jurisdictions set targets.
- California Energy Commission, building decarbonization The state programme behind California's version of the same obligation, useful for west coast portfolios.
How much does Neurobird Building Decarbonization Local Law Compliance cost?
Priced per portfolio because the coverage test, the limit and the penalty belong to the building rather than to the user. Meter readings, filings and scenarios are unlimited on every tier.
- One covered building
- Limit and gap tracking
- Meter data import
- Filing calendar
- Up to 50 buildings
- Multi jurisdiction rules
- Penalty exposure model
- Certification workflow
- Unlimited buildings
- Retrofit scenario planning
- Adjustment applications
- Priority support
Get free early access
Early access means we load your covered buildings list, your square footage and your meter history before you type anything, and the account stays free while we do it.
Straight answer on where this is: The software is in development. Nothing is purchasable today. Early access means you shape it and pay nothing while we build.
Prefer email? Write to office@neurobird.com and a person will reply. No autoresponder.