Big Manhattan buildings cast an even bigger shadow on the borough’s ability to make energy from the sun.
Those sun-blocking skyscrapers have paved the way for Queens to become the city’s leader in solar energy generation, according to analysts and data recently released by Con Edison.
But experts say that’s still good news for people living and working in Manhattan — solar customers in the outer boroughs take pressure off the power grid.
Overall, Con Ed’s 452 solar using customers in the city generate up to 8.5 megawatts of power — enough to power roughly 8,500 homes. That’s up from just 1 megawatt citywide in 2007, according to the NYC Solar America Partnership.
The 168 solar installations in Queens now generate up to 3,420 kilowatts. Manhattan’s 53 installations make just 798 kilowatts.
“You have a much better building stock in Queens than Manhattan,” said Chris Moustakis, vice president of the Brooklyn-based Solar Energy Systems.
“The Citigroup building will shade you for a mile.”
Tria Case, director of sustainabilty for the City University of New York, said any solar installation in the city takes pressure off the power grid as the Big Apple is required to produce 80% of its energy from within its limits.
“A small amount of solar power in the right place can really make a difference,” said Case.
Con Ed recently designated a portion of Chelsea and the lower East Side as Solar Empowerment Zones. Customers in those areas — also found in Brooklyn, Staten Island and Queens — can undergo a streamlined permitting process and receive extra incentives to go solar.
Financial incentive is the reason many New Yorkers are warming to solar power, even in Queens, where low, flat rooftops make it easier to recoup installation costs.
John Pantanelli, whose Long Island City scaffolding company Swing Staging is not in an empowerment zone, had their out-of-pocket cost on a nearly 50 kilowatt, $250,000 solar array cut to $90,000 after grants from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, federal tax credits and New York City property tax breaks.
Pantanelli said his only regret is that the cash savings only applied to enough panels to cover a sixth of his 70,000-square-foot roof.
“There’s so much roof here,” he said from the sunny topside of his warehouse. “I wish they gave me more money. I’d be happy to take it.”
Borough Installations Kilowatts
Queens 168 up to 3,420
Brooklyn 111 up to 2,281
Bronx 73 up to 1,487
Manhattan 53 up to 798
Staten Island 47 up to 486
