For many years, designated historic buildings have been exempt
from most energy conservation codes. However, with increased
attention to the perils of climate change, some
cities—including New York— are adopting strong laws on
building energy use that do not have this exemption. Historic
preservation laws that have not caught up, and some fire codes, may
pose obstacles to the installation of rooftop solar and some other
methods to reduce building energy consumption.
One of the major rationales for this longstanding exemption was
the idea that older buildings are more energy efficient than new
ones, and thus should not have to undertake further energy
conservation measures. This rationale has been called into doubt by
a study published in October by Erica Avrami, Jennifer L. Most,
Anna Gasha and Shreya M. Ghoshal (Avrami study) of the Graduate
School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation of Columbia
University.
