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Green Toolkit
If your business is interested in increasing sustainability in your office, it’s important to first take a look at where you are in the leasing process. But whether you’re just signing a new lease in the district, or have been a tenant for a number of years, there are initiatives you can undertake. Click on the links below for more information.
Businesses Looking for Space
Find Green Space: If you are looking for new space, now is the best time to think about green. First, take a look at real estate options that are already green in the district, or will be green in the coming years if you’re planning ahead. Click here for our green inventory and pipeline.
Negotiate Green Lease: If you have not yet signed a lease, keep in mind that many landlords and tenants are now exploring options for green lease negotiations. A green lease can help guide you and your landlord throughout the term of your lease on all matters relating to sustainability and energy use in your space. A green lease should address the following points and include the following legal components (from USGBC’s Greenbuild Conference held November 2008 in Boston):
- What makes the building or premises green? This can be defined by LEED, Energy Star, or any other certification or benchmark. This must be clearly defined in language of lease.
- Who bears the cost of greening the building or premises? (including common areas)
- How will cost savings in operating the building be distributed? For example, if tenants had to bear some cost of greening common areas, will they reap some of the savings via a pass-through from the landlord?
- What use/operation requirements will be imposed on each party? This is probably the component of a green lease that most differs from a regular lease. Some examples:
- If a building is already green, the tenant may require that the building stays at that level or the landlord will upgrade the premises if the LEED (or other green) standards change.
- The tenant may stipulate in the lease language that if the landlord has to relocate them for whatever reason, the new space must be equivalent in quality/green rating.
- Landlord may prohibit uses that jeopardize the green rating of building.
- Landlord may require tenant to use certain lighting fixtures, equipment, recycling, temperature sensors, etc.
- Landlord may reserve the right to change utility providers or purchase green energy
- Tenant may be asked to provide energy consumption data.
- Tenant may be restricted from using space heaters, certain cleaning products, desk lamps, etc.
- Will maintenance of a green insurance policy be required?
- How will green provisions of the lease be enforced? Any violations of green lease provisions should be a default in lease, just as they are in a standard lease.
Green Lease Resources:
Businesses That Recently Signed Lease
Use Build-Out Strategically: If you have already signed a lease, but have not yet moved into your space, now is the time to think strategically about your build-out. You can incorporate green features like daylight sensors, low-VOC paint and fluorescent bulbs at little additional upfront costs – but making these changes in the middle of your lease term is often not feasible, especially for small tenants. Take advantage of any funds your landlord plans to contribute to your build-out. A good guide for tenants is the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED rating system for Commercial Interiors (CI). Even if you don’t plan to pursue LEED certification, the CI system can be used as a benchmark as you plan your build-out. To view the system, click here.
Understand Your Electric Bill: There are a number of methods by which a tenant can use and pay for electricity. Understanding the specific terms of your arrangement is a helpful step in making decisions about what energy projects, if any, to undertake in your space. Typically, there are two methods of electricity payment or metering:
- You pay your landlord for electricity use each month, not Con Edison, but see your usage as a line item on your rent bill. If you use more or less electricity, the amount you pay for this line item varies each month.
- You pay your landlord a set amount each month for rent, which includes electricity usage. You do not see a usage amount, and you pay the same amount regardless of how much electricity you use.
NYSERDA Incentives: If you have already found space, now is the time to look into any available incentives. The New York State Energy Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) offers technical assistance and some financial assistance for tenants, depending on project. To see a list of NYSERDA’s programs, click here.
Case Study: NBBJ Architects, a global architecture firm headquartered in New York City, recently moved their offices to 2 Rector Street in Lower Manhattan. They retrofitted their space to earn a LEED rating for Commercial Interiors, and incorporated a number of sustainability features into an existing space during their build-out. To read about their experience, click here.
Current Tenants
Ten Tips: Even if you are already located in a space and have no plans to undertake major renovations, there are small things you can do to increase sustainability in your office. For a list of ten tips for a greener office, click here.
NYSERDA Energy Audit: NYSERDA offers a low-cost energy audit for tenants who pay under $75,000 per year in electricity costs. An audit can give you concrete suggestions about changes to make in your space to make it more energy efficient. A number of the changes that might be suggested in an audit, like daylight sensors and fluorescent lights, are low-cost, big-impact items. In addition, if you make the changes suggested in the audit, NYSERDA will refund the cost of your audit. For more information, click here.
Free Compact Flourescent Bulbs: Many Lower Manhattan tenants are located in buildings that qualify for Public Energy Solutions’ free compact fluorescent bulb replacement program. For more information, or to find out if you are eligible, call 866-818-1900 ext. 110 or click here.
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