New York as a Solar City

Last week the NY Times reported that NYC conducted a laser analysis of the city to create a useful geographical map.   The laser system used is known as Lidar, from light detection and ranging.  In April, over the course of nine 6-hour nighttime flights, a plane equipped with Lidar collected data on the city which would allow the rendering of a detailed 3D map.  This map will help identify wetlands and flat and pitched roofs, among other things, which would enable the city to determine which neighborhoods are more prone to flooding, which areas need more trees, and estimate the solar potential of different buildings.  [Above is a picture taken during one of the nighttime flights.]

The map has yet to be produced, but its benefits will be numerous.   While New York City receives plenty of sun light, it has unique conditions which limit its solar potential.  Tall buildings shade nearby roofs; roofs house equipment like heating and cooling systems as well as water and cell phone towers which reduce usable solar space; many ratepayers who rent are not able to take advantage of solar incentives which usually go to building owners; and historic building preservation codes can restrict or prevent construction of solar structures.  A detailed solar potential map will ease the identification of the best locations for solar.

NYC is taking action on other fronts to encourage its solar market.  New York is one of the Solar America Cities – a group of 25 cities in partnership with the Department of Energy committed to increasing the adoption of solar technology.  NYC has set the goal of installing 8.1 MW of photovoltaic energy by 2015.

The price of installation in the city remains high and the permitting process can be lengthy.  The solar map will be a good step forward in catalyzing solar in the city.  However, there needs to be continued focus on bringing down the costs of installation, streamlining the permitting process, and developing creative ways to finance solar projects which make them more accessible to everyone.

Check out the Solar Bill of Rights to learn more about practices and policies that will help to grow the solar market.

NYSES Solar Financing

Last Wednesday, the New York Solar Energy Society (NYSES) hosted an educational solar financing event.  The speakers included Stanley Fishbein (tax attorney and President of CapQuest Group), Rémy Trotabas (President of The Real Thing), and Richard Schoen (FTL Solar) each presenting on a different topic: equipment leasing, power purchase agreements, and feed-in tariffs, respectively.  Each presenter did a great job on hitting the key issues related to their topic.  The best part of the event may have been the duel (of words, unfortunately) between Fishbein and Trotabas, vehemently arguing over which is superior: equipment leasing or PPAs.  Both had some good jabs, but I think it’s safe to say it was a tie.

Here’s a breakdown of the issues (click the chart for a larger image):

More good news from Fishbein: he says the 50% bonus depreciation for solar equipment should be back soon!

And a special thanks to Ameriprise Financial for kindly hosting the event.

Feed-In Tariff Legislation a Possibility in NY

Feed-In Tariffs (FITs) implemented in Germany and Spain spurred record growth in their renewable energy industries, making them global leaders in solar energy. Now, there is a chance FITs could come to New York, bringing with them unprecedented benefits and opportunities.

A FIT establishes a premium rate at which renewable energy systems (small or large scale) sell their energy to the grid. Instead of net metering, system owners are paid for every kWh generated, not just those they don’t consume. Read the NREL paper to learn more about how FITs function.

Around the world, FITs have been proven to be the fastest and most economical way of deploying renewable energy systems. The New York Solar Energy Society gives 16 reasons why FITs are advantageous and effective. Some of the most prominent are:

1. A FIT will create tens of thousands of clean energy jobs in NYS

2.  Reliable, predictable credit flows from FITs promote private sector investment

3.  FITs promote investment in large scale AND small scale systems

A petition is out to support FIT legislation in NY. Add your name here.