Author
Danielle Spiegel-Feld
Bio: Danielle Spiegel-Feld is an academic researcher from New York University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Environmental law & Energy policy. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 10 publications receiving 38 citations.
Topics: Environmental law, Energy policy, Statute, Audit, State (polity)
Papers
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TL;DR: Kontokosta et al. as discussed by the authors examined the effect of a large-scale mandatory audit policy (New York City Local Law 87) on building energy use, using detailed audit and energy data between 2011 and 2016 for approximately 4,000 buildings.
Abstract: Cities are increasingly adopting energy policies that reduce information asymmetries and knowledge gaps through data transparency, including energy disclosure and mandatory audit requirements for existing buildings. Although such audits impose non-trivial costs on building owners, their energy use impacts have not been empirically evaluated. Here we examine the effect of a large-scale mandatory audit policy—New York City’s Local Law 87—on building energy use, using detailed audit and energy data between 2011 and 2016 for approximately 4,000 buildings. This specific policy context, in which the compliance year is randomly assigned, provides a unique opportunity to explore the audit effect without the self-selection bias found in studies of voluntary audit policies. We find energy use reductions of approximately –2.5% for multifamily residential buildings and –4.9% for office buildings. The results suggest that mandatory audits, by themselves, create an insufficient incentive to invest in energy efficiency at the scale needed to meet citywide carbon-reduction goals. Although more cities are considering mandatory building energy audits, their effect on energy use in buildings is not clear. Using data from New York, Kontokosta et al. estimate the extent to which Local Law 87 mandating building energy audits has contributed to a decrease in energy use.
33 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyze the potential negative consequences that complete disbursement of renewable energy savings to consumers could cause, and highlight undesirable consequences that completely disbursing the savings could cause.
14 citations
Columbia University1, New York City College of Technology2, City University of New York3, The New School4, Barnard College5, Public Agenda6, New York Institute of Technology7, New York University8, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory9, Rutgers University10, The Nature Conservancy11, Hunter College12, Cornell University13, Engineer Research and Development Center14, Joint Global Change Research Institute15, Princeton University16, University at Buffalo17, Stony Brook University18, Enterprise Community Partners19, Pratt Institute20
TL;DR: It is argued that organizational sensemaking is a usable climate service, particularly in highly uncertain times, given the complex, rare, and, in many cases, unfamiliar context of COVID-19.
Abstract: In May 2020, the New York City (NYC) Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency (MOCR) began convening bi-weekly discussions, called the Rapid Research and Assessment (RRA) Series, between City staff and...
2 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors show that building energy audits in New York City lead to a modest reduction of energy use of 2.5% and 4.9% for multifamily and office buildings, respectively.
Abstract: Mandatory building energy audits in New York City lead to a modest reduction of energy use of 2.5% and 4.9% for multifamily and office buildings, respectively. This suggests that other approaches besides mandatory audit policies, such as building energy grading and carbon intensity targets, may be needed to achieve sustainability goals.
2 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors employed the panel vector autoregressive (PVAR) model to examine the impact of renewable energy and financial development on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and economic growth.
558 citations
Abstract: The present study aims to explore the long‐run and causal effect of financial development and renewable energy consumption on environmental sustainability while controlling technological innovation and economic growth within the global framework. In line with the aim of the study, the fully modified OLS (FMOLS), dynamic OLS (DOLS), canonical cointegrating regression (CCR), Bayer and Hanck cointegration, and frequency‐domain causality tests are employed. Empirical evidence confirms the existence of a long‐run linkage among the variables. The present study also finds that in the long run, global financial development and global renewable energy consumption have a long‐run significant positive effect on environmental sustainability, while economic growth increases carbon emission flaring around the world. Within the global framework, the study, therefore, recommends that in order to increase environmental quality, global policy‐makers should further consider the roles of renewable energy and financial development by implementing reform energy policies in both developed and developing countries.
246 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a new perspective on the connection between CO2 emissions and GDP growth, renewable energy, technological innovation and globalization in Japan by employing wavelet statistical tools was revealed by employing series of wavelet tools for datasets covering the period from 1990Q1 to 2015Q4.
Abstract: With regard to environmental degradation in Japan, the world's third-largest economy, limited studies have been performed to illustrate the ecological aspects of the country's core and recent economic policies such as globalization, technological innovation, and renewable energy usage policies. Given this motivation, this research reveals a new perspective on the connection between CO2 emissions and GDP growth, renewable energy, technological innovation and globalization in Japan by employing wavelet statistical tools. The paper employs series of wavelet tools for datasets covering the period from 1990Q1 to 2015Q4. The empirical outcomes demonstrate proof of the interaction between renewable energy use, economic growth, technological innovation, globalization and CO2 emissions in both time and frequency. The empirical results of the wavelet analyses reveal that globalization, GDP growth, and technological innovation increase CO2 emissions in Japan, while renewable energy usage mitigates CO2 in the short and medium terms. The results demonstrate the significance of implementing policies effectively coordinated by the policymakers to curb the significant environmental degradation in Japan. Moreover, Japan should actively support renewable energy development and create a more competitive climate for investment in the renewable energy market.
206 citations
TL;DR: A methodology that enhances the existing Energy Star calculation method by increasing accuracy and providing additional model output processing to help explain why a building is achieving a particular score is proposed.
66 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors designed an online survey to understand how people were using and perceiving UGS during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City during the spring of 2020, and found that most respondents were concerned about social distancing and crowded UGS, and respondents with these concerns were less likely to visit UGS and had visited UGS less often during than before the pandemic.
57 citations