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New York City, NY
October 8, 2009: New York City receives Recovery Act funding for Solar America Cities Special Projects.
New York City plans to create a strategy for supporting large-scale solar energy market growth that complements its PlaNYC 2030. This plan outlines the city’s long-term sustainability planning efforts and greenhouse gas reduction goals. New York City’s strategic partnership with DOE through Solar America Cities is an important component in the city’s broader long-term goal to ensure clean, reliable energy for every New Yorker.
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Credit:Adam Friedberg
In this first-of-its-kind application, low-cost, thin-film photovoltaic (solar electric or “PV”) panels (210kW) were combined with clear glass in custom glazing units to provide the right balance among shelter, daylighting, and electricity generation at Coney Island’s Stillwell Avenue Terminal.
Credit:Atlantis Energy Systems
This 40kW, building-integrated photovoltaic array at New York City’s Whitehall Ferry Terminal generates electricity and allows sunlight to stream through the canopy panels, providing daylight to interior areas
A monitor in the front lobby of the Bronx High School of Science allows students and faculty to monitor the status of the school's rooftop solar array.
Credit:Solar Energy Systems
The Habana Outpost “eco-eatery” in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn serves as both a restaurant and community gathering space where art, environment, and community take center stage.
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Activities
The City of New York hopes to foster a solar-electric market that will be a competitive and economically sustainable industry while providing the City with clean, reliable, affordable electricity. It will do so using a three-part strategy that will:- Lay the foundation to support a growing industry by reducing barriers and educating the labor pool
- Use the City’s resources to spur the market and create economies of scale to lower prices
- Create the institutions to plan and monitor future growth.
The City has set a goal to increase its installed PV capacity within the five boroughs from 1.1 MW in 2005 to 8.1 MW by 2015. This is the maximum allowed under current regulations. The target will be adjusted if the current capacity cap changes
- Develop a long-term solar energy plan.
- Facilitate PV projects and support workforce development to reach the city’s aggressive goal of increasing installed solar capacity.
- Conduct a feasibility study of real-time pricing for PV installations.
- Evaluate best integration of solar energy into emergency planning and demand-reduction programs.
- Create new municipal solar energy incentives.
- Address interconnection and code barriers through a collaborative stakeholder process.
- Explore innovative financing and ownership structures to accelerate the pace of solar energy development.
Partners
- New York City Economic Development Corporation (Project Lead)
- Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability
- City University of New York
- New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
- State and city stakeholders.
Smart Solar City Data Acquisition SystemThe City will develop a system to allow communication and control between the electric grid and distributed PV generation, increasing the ability of electric utility ConEdison to depend on solar as a peak generation source.
Community Solar FinancingThe City will develop a financing structure that empowers residents to invest in solar electricity generation even if they cannot support solar arrays on their own homes and businesses.
Smart Solar Virtual CommunityThe City will develop an online portal with a solar planning map that will help predict the interaction of loads, PV generation, and grid reactivity, as well as calculate statistics such as the daily amount of solar energy produced in New York City.
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