Commercial · Offices
Offices Built to the Code, and to the Work.
A New York office fit-out has to satisfy the energy code, the building's local-law obligations, and the people who work there. Lighting control, the network, the meeting rooms, and the door all have to be right on the first day.
Offices
Three Rulebooks and a Move-In Date.
New York regulates office lighting more than most cities. The energy code requires occupancy sensors in enclosed and open offices and daylight-responsive controls near the windows. Local Law 88 required large buildings to bring their lighting up to code by January 1, 2025. Local Law 97 now caps a building's carbon emissions, with a penalty of $268 for every ton over the limit.
For a tenant, that means the lighting control is not optional and should be designed with the rest of the office, not added by the electrician at the end. We design the lighting control, the network, the conference rooms, and access on one plan, coordinated with the architect, the engineer, and the building.
01 · Lighting
Code First, Then Comfort
Lutron occupancy and daylight controls meet the energy code; scenes, tunable white, and shades make the space pleasant to work in. Wireless Lutron controls let an occupied office be retrofitted without opening the ceiling everywhere.
02 · Network
Wi-Fi Planned for Video
A UniFi network designed for the floor plate and the headcount, with separate networks for staff, guests, and building systems, managed and monitored remotely so a problem is fixed before the morning stand-up.
03 · Building
Data for the Local Laws
Lighting control and energy reporting give the landlord and the tenant the numbers Local Law 97 reporting depends on. We coordinate with the building's engineer so the tenant's systems help, not hinder, the building's compliance.
At a Glance
New York office rules in brief.
- Energy code
- The New York City Energy Conservation Code requires occupant-sensor controls in enclosed offices, open-plan offices, conference rooms, and break rooms, and daylight-responsive controls for lighting in daylight zones.
- Local Law 88
- Buildings of 50,000 square feet or more had to bring lighting up to the energy code by January 1, 2025, and install electrical submeters for non-residential tenant spaces over 5,000 square feet; the Department of Buildings fines $1,500 a year for not filing, plus $500 for each tenant space without a submeter.
- Local Law 97
- Buildings over 25,000 square feet must stay under per-square-foot carbon limits set by occupancy type, in periods from 2024 to 2029 and from 2030 to 2034; emissions over the limit cost $268 per metric ton of CO2 equivalent each year.
- The goal
- Local Law 97 aims to cut emissions from the city's largest buildings 40 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050.
Sources: NYC Department of Buildings, Energy Code lighting module; Lutron, NYCECC 2020 lighting-control code poster; NYC Department of Buildings, complying with Local Law 88; NY Engineers, Local Law 88 lighting upgrades and submetering; Thornton Tomasetti, Local Law 97; NY Engineers, Local Law 97 building emission limits.
Reading on Offices
Guides and related work.
- A wireless Lutron Vive retrofit in an occupied office →
Code-compliant lighting control without opening every ceiling.
- Standardizing Crestron Flex across an office floor →
- How to vet a commercial AV integrator in New York →
- Why LEDs flicker, and how to match dimmers and drivers →
- Conference rooms and boardrooms →
Questions About Offices
Offices, Answered
Does our office fit-out need lighting controls?+–
In New York City, yes. The energy code requires occupancy sensors in enclosed and open offices, conference rooms, and break rooms, and daylight-responsive controls for fixtures near the windows. We design a Lutron system that meets those requirements and gives the space scenes, schedules, and shade control on top.
Can you add lighting control to an office we already occupy?+–
Yes. Wireless Lutron controls replace switches and talk to sensors without new wiring, so an occupied floor can be done in phases, after hours, without opening every ceiling. Fixtures that need new drivers are replaced at the same time.
Can our technology help with Local Law 97?+–
Lighting control and energy reporting reduce the load and give the building the data its annual report depends on. We coordinate with the building's engineer and the landlord so the tenant's systems support the building's compliance plan.
Do you design the office network as well?+–
Yes. We are a UniFi Certified Partner and design the network for the floor plate and headcount: wired drops, Wi-Fi for video calls, separate networks for staff, guests, and building systems, and remote management, so one team supports the network, the AV, and the lighting.
Can you take over a system another integrator installed?+–
Yes. We assess and document what is there, recover or rebuild the programming, replace what has reached end of life, and bring the space under a Cave Watch support plan, so the next problem has a phone number.
Who supports the system after it is installed?+–
We do, remotely first. Cave Watch monitors the network, the AV, and the lighting control, fixes most faults without a visit, and schedules a technician from our Long Island City office when one is needed. The support agreement names response times, what your staff handle, and what we handle.
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