Sample compliance report

This is what a compliance report looks like, for a made-up 300,000 sq ft office. The peer set, trend and example bids are illustrative. The penalty and emissions figures come from the FeeWarden method.

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Compliance report

Your path to
the 2030 cap

Sample office · 300,000 sq ft · Group B

Penalty from 2030$183,441per year if nothing changes

02The penalty

Where this building stands

Emissions run 585 tons over the 2024 cap. The cap falls 46% in 2030, and the gap widens to 684 tons even though the grid gets cleaner.

Penalty today$156,832per year, 2024–2029

From 2030$183,441per year if nothing changes

Over the cap585 → 684tons, now and in 2030

Emissions against the cap

What is driving it

What this means

Natural gas is 31% of emissions today and 47% in 2030.
Electricity gets cleaner on its own: its share falls 50% by 2030.
The remaining gap is a 33% reduction in total emissions.

03Peer comparison

How you compare with similar buildings

We compared this building with 24 office buildings of 250,000 to 350,000 sq ft in the same city dataset. Each dot is one building, measured in tons per 1,000 sq ft.

Emissions per 1,000 sq ft, 2024 filings

Peer set is illustrative in this sample. In a real report it is drawn from the building’s own filing year and property type.

8 of 24peers are already under the 2024 cap

nonepeers are under the 2030 cap today

50%of peers emit less per sq ft than this building

13% vs 27%gas share of emissions: peers under the cap vs over it

This building vs the peer median

Emissions sit at the peer median. Gas share is 19th lowest of 25, so this building leans on gas more than most peers.

Takeaway. Peers that already comply lean on electricity. They burn about 13% of their emissions as gas, against 27% for buildings over the cap. The 2030 limit is out of reach for the whole peer group without fuel switching, so acting early puts you ahead of most of them.

04Paths to compliance

Paths to the 2030 cap

There is no single fix. Three ways to cut 684 tons (33%) from the 2030 emissions, from all-efficiency to all-electrification. Anything in the shaded area clears the cap.

Energy cut needed against gas heating converted

Assumes heat pumps deliver 3 units of heat per unit of electricity and the 2030 grid factor. Illustrative planning estimate, not engineering.

Electrify

Convert 98% of gas heating to electric heat pumps. No efficiency work.

Blend

Cut total energy use 15% and convert 63% of gas heating. Smaller first step.

Efficiency only

Cut total energy use 33.5%. Rarely achievable without fuel switching.

Where to start. Path B has the most headroom. The efficiency half pays back first, and it shrinks the electrical upgrade the heat pumps would otherwise need.

05The money

What fixing it is worth

The cost of doing nothing sets the ceiling on what a retrofit can cost before paying the fine is cheaper. This page turns the penalty into a budget.

Cumulative penalties if nothing changes

Assumes today’s energy use, the 2024 and 2030 limits, and $268 per ton. The 2035 limit is lower and is not included, so later years are understated.

5-year break-even budget$917,205

Fines avoided from 2030 to 2034 if the work is done by January 2030.

10-year view$1,834,410

Fines avoided over ten years at the 2030 limit, before fuel savings.

How to use it. If a contractor’s price for the work that closes the gap is below this number, the fines alone justify it. Above it, the case rests on fuel savings, the 2035 limit and resale value.

06Trend and data

Trend and data check

Energy use has fallen about 1% a year. The 2030 cap needs roughly 6% a year. We also checked the filing against other city records.

Energy use per sq ft, kBtu

Reported years are illustrative in this sample. Dashed lines project to 2029, the last year before the cap drops.

Data check against other city records

Floor area	300,000 sq ft on the filing, 311,200 sq ft on the city property record A higher recorded area means a higher cap. Confirm which is correct before the May 1 report.
Occupancy group	B (business) on the filing and on the property record
Utility data	Gas bills cover 11 of 12 months Confirm the missing month. Incomplete data is where filings most often fail.
Fuel types	Electricity and natural gas reported. No oil or steam.
Benchmarking record	Filed on time for the last 5 years

07Quotes and next steps

Quotes and next steps

Example bids, scored against your break-even budget.

Quote scorecard

Within the 5-year budget or only within the 10-year view. Payback counts avoided penalties only. Example figures, not quotes.

Best practices from published guidance

Check electrical capacity firstElectrification raises load. Confirm service and transformer capacity.Habitat
Start small and visibleEarly wins build resident trust before a large assessment.Habitat
Plan before you borrowA detailed plan unlocks better financing, including C-PACE.Habitat
Use free city helpNYC Accelerator gives free guidance and reviews proposals.Brick Underground
Schedule it as capital workFit 2030 work into a five-year capital plan.NYC sustainability office

Your timeline

NowFix data gaps

Next 6 monthsAudit and quotes

Every May 1Annual report due

By end of 2029Work complete

2030Cap drops

Stay current. We re-run this report when new filings post, so the numbers follow the building.

This is a planning estimate from the building’s energy use and the city’s published limits. It is not a certified filing: annual reports need a licensed engineer or architect. It is not legal advice, and retrofit prices need an energy audit.