 |
NYC PROGRAMS OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL TO "GO SOLAR"
A capacity audience of homeowners, business owners, renters, community organizers, developers and installers gathered in Manhattan last night for the kick off of two new programs
SOLARIZE NYC and
SHARD SOLAR NYC. Through Mayor de Blasio's
One City: Built to Last initiative, the NYC Solar Partnership is leading the implementation of solar programs that will help expand access to clean, reliable and affordable solar energy for all New Yorkers. The two unique opportunities are designed to help achieve the largest mayoral solar commitment in the country: installing 350 MW of solar in NYC by 2025. Accordingly, the Partnership will provide financial and technical support for up to eight campaigns a year
for successful applicants through 2025.
To find out how you can participate visit the NYC Solar Partnership Portal. The portal provides information on how communities can apply for support for a solarize campaigns, or for those who are interested in shared solar opportunities, a tool for registering to become a host site, a participating developer or a subscriber.
|
AMERICA'S FIRST STATEWIDE
SOLAR MAP AND PORTAL LAUNCHES
CUNY Built Map Puts Solar Tools in Hands of All New Yorkers
Sustainable CUNY of the City University of New York (CUNY) worked with a team of researchers, IT and GIS experts at the country's largest urban public university, as well as with solar leaders across the state, to design and build the
NY Solar Map and Portal, a comprehensive interactive website with support from the NY Sun Initiative and the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SunShot Initiative
. The NY Solar Map and Portal incorporates and expands on the NYC Solar Map, one of the first solar maps in the country, built in 2010 utilizing 5 billion points of LiDAR data with support from the DOE, the State of New York, the City of New York and Con Edison.
The NY Solar Map and Portal integrates local program information, even by Borough, with the "In Your Area" tool. The Solar Connect feature allows users to receive quotes from NYSERDA-qualified solar installers, and sorts contractors based on their offerings and the number of projects they have completed within your area. The Solar Statistics and Solar Layers features allow users to visualize how New York City's solar market is growing, with charts displaying how prices are falling. All of these resources are wrapped into a customizable Portal containing educational resources created by Sustainable CUNY and its partners. The Map also integrates Advanced Tools for contractors, such as the forthcoming Grid Ready tool that will allow pre-screening of large properties in NYC for necessary grid upgrades to interconnect with Con Edison.
|
FAQ FOR INSTALLING SOLAR IN NYC
As the NYC solar market continues to grow and evolve, Sustainable CUNY's
Solar Ombudsmen
are charged with facilitating and supporting its development.
The NYC Solar Ombudsmen have worked with partners at the NYC Department of Buildings, the Fire Department of NY and other City agencies to prepare a collection of responses to the most Frequently Asked Questions posed by solar installers in the City.
If you have additional questions, please contact a solar ombudsman at
[email protected]
|
Example Installer FAQ's NYC Ombudsmen Answers
|
Q: What maps should I rely on for assessing a flood hazard, and thus include in my solar application?
|
|
|
Solar Ombudsmen Case Study
|
CHALLENGE
Th
e NYC DOB reviews pricing of all construction projects to protect consumers and ensure contractors do not game the permit fee system. However, when the price validation range was set for solar in 2015, it was too narrow a price range given the many variables for installing solar in NYC.
|
SOLUTION
Sustainable CUNY provided data and a memo explaining the reasons to expand the price validation range, and why the price per watt of solar varies based on different factors.
|
IMPACT
The number of projects rejected because of their listed price range has dropped significantly while the number of permit applications per month has increased by more than 50%. Applications outside the new range can be approved by providing documentation.
|
"...Their
work to educate DOB on solar pricing range validation has helped ease the permitting process. CUNY has also been particularly helpful in navigating issues such as Batteries/Storage and Flood Zone Hazard
questions..."-
Brooklyn
SolarWorks
|
In the Works
Status of the solar PTA extension
The extension of the solar property tax abatement that is set to expire at the end of the year is looking promising. The bill to extend it for another two years has passed both NYS Assembly and the Senate. Next step is to have the Governor sign the bill for it to be extended.
|
|
NYC Solar Snapshots
The
number of solar jobs filed at the DOB reached its record monthly high in July! There were 365 solar applications filed through self-service, 311 of those applied for the solar PTA.
For full-service applications, the DOB Plan Examiners continue to turn around the applications efficiently and more consistently than ever, at an average of 1.2 days from filing to first review. Sustainable CUNY continues to work with the DOB to ensure that plan reviewers are informed of recent solar-related changes and advances.
|
New Resources
Storage+Solar
Sustainable CUNY's Smart DG Hub recently published three new resources to advance a more resilient distributed energy system in NYC. They include:
|
|
Updates
R
CNY 105-02
Solar PTA filing now more streamlined
Early this summer, the DOB
amended the rules governing the solar property tax abatement (RCNY 105-02) in order to streamline the application process related to electrical plans as well as electrical and construction sign-off. Importantly, electrical diagrams are no longer required as part of the plan set. Therefore, electrical diagrams will no longer be stamped by the DOB plan examiners; and, inspectors will no longer require the three-line diagrams at the time of inspection. Instead, DOB's Electrical Division will handle all information required to meet Fire Code, signage and color coding during the electrical sign-off.
Solar and the new NYC Energy Conservation Code
In mid-July, the City Council adopted a new Energy Conservation Code for NYC (NYCECC) after the State recently adopted a new energy code earlier this year. The NYCECC, which goes into effect on October 3, includes mandatory "solar ready" requirements for new residential buildings (single-family dwellings three stories or higher with good solar access). Qualifying buildings will need to leave space for solar panels. See Appendix RB for more details.
Resolving PTA allotment issues
Sustainable CUNY continues to follow up with the Department of Finance to ensure that all customers receive their appropriate tax abatement. If you know of any customers who are still waiting for their correct Confirmation of Benefits letter, please email
[email protected]
Calling all Community Shared Solar developers
The NYC Solar Partnership has launched the Shared Solar NYC Portal to connect property owners interested in hosting CDG to qualified developers. Host site identification was identified as a barrier to shared solar in NYC by 91% of respondents to the Partnership's shared solar RFI earlier this year. The application for developers to participate in the portal is now open. The Partnership will be performing outreach to property owners and potential host sites as part of the Solarize Brooklyn CB6: Sun for All campaign and other avenues.
FDNY Provides Fire Code Flexibility for Small Flat-roofed Buildings
Sustainable CUNY's Solar Ombudsmen worked with FDNY to develop Fire Code flexibility for small, flat-roof buildings less than 25 feet wide, such as brownstones. The rule clarification detailed in the NYC Fire Code Guide (Question #38 under FC CHAPTER 5 - FIRE OPERATION FEATURES -- page 32 of the PDF) will allow certain permanent building features to encroach upon the clear path required by FC504.4 to a limited extent in specific circumstances. As a result, projects that meet these requirements in these circumstances will not have to file for a fire code variance in order to be approved by DOB.
Con Edison Releases Initial Hosting Capacity Maps and Fast Track Interconnection
Con Edison has released its initial hosting capacity maps as required by the state's REV process. The hosting capacity maps will be complemented by the Grid Ready project in partnership with CUNY. The team aims to release the initial Grid Ready data later this year.
|
Sustainable CUNY is currently working with DOB on streamlining inspections. If you have a concrete examples of challenges you have faced with inspections please email
[email protected] and specify whether they are for construction or electrical inspections in your subject line.
|
|
The NYC Solar Installer Roundtable
NYC Solar Installer Roundtable is a forum for exchanging information, workshop opportunities, RFP/ RFI notices, and industry updates. Join the NYC Solar Roundtable, the NYS Solar Installer Roundtable or the Smart DG Hub Roundtable by sending an email to
[email protected]
|
Calendar of Events
Coming in September: Interconnection Workshop
|
NYSolar Smart is a strategic effort led by Sustainable CUNY of the City University of New York that supports Federal, State and NYC solar initiatives to strategically remove barriers to large scale solar deployment.
|
|
|
|
See what's happening on our social sites:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
