A SOLAR ENERGY FUTURE FOR MANHATTAN

Why Solar Energy?

Sunlight is an unlimited source of power, and more solar energy falls on Manhattan 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 February 2006, there were 47 PV projects totaling approximately 1.1 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 Manhattan

Within Manhattan, there are currently 14 solar electric installations, totaling 234 kilowatts (kW). Combined, these systems account for 20% of the City’s total installations. While the Bronx is the city leader in terms of kilowatts installed, Manhattan leads the city with the greatest number of systems installed. Manhattan also leads the city in the number of building-integrated photovoltaic systems, or systems where solar panels have been used to replace traditional architectural components like façade cladding in skyscrapers.

Solar One, Stuyvesant Cove Park  

Solar One, a green energy, arts and education center located along Manhattan's East River green way, is the City's only stand alone PV powered building.  The 500 sq.ft. center was designed by Kiss + Cathcart Architects.  Originally erected in Astoria, Queens for Earth Day 2000, Solar One was relocated to Stuyvesant Cove Park in the autumn of 2003.  Solar One's 3.5 kilowatt PV system, donated by TerraSolar, Inc., consists of 88 40-watt panels that produce 4,400 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Solar One hosts public events throughout the spring and summer that promote awareness of renewable energy sources and conservation. Solar electricity stored in batteries during the day is used at night to provide power for evening programs.

Whitehall Ferry Terminal, Financial District 

Seventy thousand people pass through the Whitehall Ferry Terminal each day on their way to and from the Staten Island Ferry. The Terminal, which was built in 1907, was recently renovated by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC). Frederic Schwartz Architects integrated custom-built glass PV panels into the design of the Terminal’s south-facing canopy and façade. Engineered by Flack + Kurtz, the system consists of 288 glass-laminated PV modules with a capacity of 40 kilowatts. The system provides shelter to commuters, replaces cladding, and generates 52,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. The PV modules were manufactured by Atlantis Energy Systems, Inc. and laminated in the company’s Poughkeepsie, NY factory. The PV system was installed by W.W. Glass and 5 Star Electric, and commissioned by New Age Solar in 2005. The project was supported by NYSERDA incentives.

Tribeca Green, Battery Park City

Tribeca Green is a 274-unit apartment complex designed to meet the LEED Gold green building standard and the Battery Park City Authority’s environmental construction guidelines. The 26-story high-rise, which was opened in 2005, features a rainwater collection system, energy efficient appliances, a vegetated green roof, a cogeneration system, and a 27.3 kilowatt PV system. The system, which is rated at 5% of the base building common loads, consists of 130 SunPower Corporation 210-watt panels integrated into the building’s bulkhead. The system was designed and supplied by altPOWER, Inc., and installed by Zwicker Electric Company, Inc. under supervision from altPOWER, Inc.

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.