A SOLAR ENERGY FUTURE FOR THE BRONX

Why Solar Energy?

Sunlight is an unlimited source of power, and more solar energy falls on the Bronx each day than could be used in a year. Solar electric panels, also known as photovoltaic or PV systems, convert sunlight directly into electricity. 

Within New York City, we generate most of our electricity from fossil fuel power plants. Recent studies have shown that local renewable energy sources could supply over a third of the City’s electricity within the next 20 years. Solar energy is the most abundant of the City’s renewable energy sources, and solar electric panels can be easily installed on New York City’s buildings. 

Switching from fossil fuel to solar energy development creates a broad range of benefits. As a reliable and emissions-free power source, solar energy lowers utility bills, reduces air pollution, and lowers the risk of blackouts. Solar energy investment also increases energy independence, generates jobs, and contributes to local economic development.

Solar Energy in New York City

New York City is already home to some of the world’s most innovative solar energy systems, but solar energy’s share of the City’s total energy use remains quite small. As of January 2007, there were 75 PV projects totaling approximately 1.46 megawatts (MW). These installations generated an estimated 0.002% of the city’s electricity supply. Solar energy is one of the world’s fastest growing energy sources, and if New York City’s solar energy market continues to grow at current rates, there could be between 14 MW and 54 MW installed in the city by 2015.

Solar Energy in the Bronx

Within the Bronx, there are currently ten solar electric installations, totaling 437.87 kilowatts (kW). Combined, these systems account for 31% of the City’s total installations. As can be seen in the graph below, the Bronx is second behind Brooklyn in terms of solar capacity installed. The majority of the capacity in the Bronx is attributable to New York City Transit’s Gun Hill Bus Depot system. The Gun Hill PV system, which was installed in 1996, is the largest solar energy array in the City. While no solar electric systems were installed in the Bronx between 1996 and 2002, nine systems have been installed since 2003, and several more systems are under development.  

 BRONX SOLAR INSTALLATIONS

Taino Plaza, Morrisana

Taino Plaza is the first green affordable housing development in the Bronx. The seven storybuildingconsistsof 105 housing units for low-income families, and 18,400 sq. ft. of commercial space. South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (SoBRO) acquired the site from the City and started construction in 2002. The building, which was designed by Curtis + Ginsberg Architects, was completed in Aug. 2004. NYSERDA provided funding for energy efficient lighting, boilers, and appliances, and the BOEDC’s Bronx Initiative on Energy and the Environment provided funding for a 30 kilowatt PV array on the building’s roof. The PV system consists of UniSolar thin film PV modules. The panels are laminated onto metal frames and ballasted with concrete pavers. This mounting technique avoids the need to penetrate the roof membrane. The system is projected to generate 42,347 kilowatt-hours annually, and will reduce building energy use by 50%. 

Bronx High School of Science, Bedford Park

Bronx High School of Science is a public magnet school serving 2,800 students from throughout New York City. In 2005, altPower, Inc. installed a 33.6 kilowatt PV array on the school’s roof using 168 Sharp 200 watt modules. The PV system was mounted on the roof using the PowerLight Corporation’s PowerGuard system in which the PV panels are attached insulation and installed as flat tiles. The system is projected to generate 38,250 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, and the school will monitor PV performance using a Heliotronics system. The school plans to integrate solar energy into its science curricula. The project was jointly funded by the Office of Energy Conservation and NYSERDA (using funds secured by the New York State Attorney General's Office).  The New York Power Authority financed the system and acted as the project manager.

The Point Community Development Corporation, Hunts Point

The Point Community Development Corporation is a non profit organization focusing on revitalizing the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx through support of art, local enterprise, responsible ecology, and self-investment. In 2006, Duce Construction Corporation, with support from Quixotic Systems, Inc., installed a 7.2 kilowatt PV system on the Point’s roof. The system consists of 66 Evergreen 110-watt panels and is projected to generate over 9,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. The system, which is part of a larger project designed by weiss + yoes architecture, was funded by a NYSERDA PV incentive and by the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation’s Bronx Initiative on Energy and the Environment.

In 2005, the City University of New York set a goal of facilitating 500 solar energy systems in New York City by 2010 through the US Department of Energy’s Million Solar Roofs partnership. This report was made possible through financial support from the City University of New York’s Million Solar Roofs Initiative under US Department of Energy contract # DE-FG41-05R110989, the Center for Sustainable Energy at Bronx Community College, and from Solar New York.