June
2018 



Resources

See all the guides, documents, roadmaps and webinars that can help New Yorkers  install solar and solar+storage under Resources on the NY Solar Map and Portal.

Additionally, you can find solar+storage resources on the on the  NYSERDA Energy Storage website and the  DER Integrated Data System.


 

 
 Need a pathway to storage for your NY Town, Village or City? 


Email  DGHUB@cuny.edu

 



Find your solar potential at nysolarmap.com
PTA EXTENSION & ESS TECH ABATEMENT PASS
Two important energy bills that passed both the NY Assembly and NY Senate are headed to the Governor's desk. A10410 expands the NYC solar Property Tax Abatement (PTA) to include energy storage technologies. The PTA would cover up to 10% of installed costs, including onsite battery storage equipment, for four years, with a cap of $62,500 per year. A10150 amends the real property tax law to extend the solar tax abatement in NYC until 2021. It had been set to expire in 2019. Sustainable CUNY was responsible for providing the data that led to the initial solar NYC PTA in 2008, as well as the first extension in 2014.
SUMMIT WORKED TO UNLOCK PATHWAY TO STORAGE
The City University of New York (CUNY) convened the annual NY Solar+Storage Dr. Elaine Ulrich Summit on June 19th with a goal of further broadening access to solar for all New Yorkers and unlocking the storage market in New York State through Sustainable CUNY's collaborative platform.  (Read what NY leaders said about the Summit) Dr. Elaine Ulrich, Senior Advisor for Strategy at the Solar Energy Technology Office for the U.S. Department of Energy, provided the afternoon keynote address.
VOTE ON ESS PROPOSED SOLUTIONS!
Stakeholders at the NY Solar+Storage Summit identified more than a dozen challenges in the solar and storage market through afternoon 'Distributed Conversations'. They then collaborated on solutions that were presented to the audience for a vote, followed by a discussion with a panel of subject matter experts (agenda).  During one of the Conversations, participants identified " How do you get customers to care?" as one of the challenges in the Customer Sided Energy Storage Systems (ESS) market. See their solutions and the Summit votes below. To vote for your two favorites, go to https://www.sli.do/ and put in the room code ESSVote. The poll will remain open until July 20th, and results will be published in the next newsletter .
UL REPRESENTATIVE OUTLINES UL 9540A AT THE SUMMIT
Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a private sector company with wide reach in safety standards, published UL 9540 in 2014, the world's first safety standard for stationary energy storage. At the Solar+Storage Summit, UL Director of Corporate Research, Pravin Gandhi, provided an in-depth presentation on UL's newly-released 9540A lithium-ion battery testing methodology followed by a question and answer session. Sustainable CUNY looks forward to using this as a springboard for continued engagement with UL, industry and AHJs.
WEBINAR POSTED FOR NYC'S LI-ION GUIDE FOR OUTDOOR SYSTEMS
Sustainable CUNY conducted a webinar on June 5th for the newly released Energy Storage Permitting and Interconnection Process Guide for New York City: Lithium-Ion Outdoor Systems. The guide is designed to provide building owners and project developers with an understanding of the permitting, interconnection and approval processes for outdoor Li-ion ESS in New York City and contains specific requirements tailored to NYC's dense built environment. View the Webinar.
SPOTLIGHT ON NYC SOLAR PARTNERSHIP
Sustainable CUNY initially formed the NYC Solar Partnership in 2006, working collaboratively with the Mayor's Office of Sustainability , and the New York City Economic Development Corporation to develop and implement comprehensive plans for large-scale solar integration. In 2014, Mayor Bill de Blasio committed to continuing the Partnership and instilled a comprehensive initiative under One City: Built to Last . Check out the growth of solar in NYC and the market actions that helped unlock the market. Download the PDF


NEW DPS REQUIREMENTS FOR ENERGY PROVIDERS
The NY Department of Public Service (DPS) has enacted bold requirements for companies who sell Distributed Energy Resources (DER) services in NYS. The action is part of a consumer protection initiative targeted at this quickly growing segment of the energy market that is disrupting traditional utility business models.  The DPS and NYSERDA gave a presentation on the required new Uniform Business Practices (UPB) on May 30. Details can be found here .  Community Distributed Generation (CDG) and Mass Market Providers must register with DPS by July 2, 2018 using a registration form available on the DPS website here.
ACCESSolar DEADLINE  EXTENDED

As part of Shared Solar NYC, Sustainable CUNY supports the New York City Housing Authority's (NYCHA) ACCESSolar program. Solar developers and community organizations interested in partnering on community shared solar projects are invited to attend a "Meet & Greet" on Wednesday, July 18 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Urban Future Lab on the 19th floor of 15 Metro Tech Center in Brooklyn. Representatives of NYCHA, Sustainable CUNY and the Fund for Public Housing will be available to answer questions and facilitate connections. Please RSVP at accessolar@nycha.nyc.gov by July 16. In order to accommodate partnerships made at this event, NYCHA is extending the deadline for ACCESSolar applications to August 3, 2018.    
NY SOLAR ANALYTICS
Solar Snapshot

 
FROM THE DIRECTOR

It's all about the people who show up and put the time and commitment in to make a difference. Over 300 stakeholders took part in the Distributed Conversations at the Summit this year. It was heartening to witness individuals from every corner of the state and every market perspective put thought into developing solutions to support the market. We lost a great example of a committed public servant this week who had scheduled to be with us at the Summit. NYC Fire Chief Ronald Spadafora, who not only served us during 9-11, but on a day to day basis, was always present, even in the face of personal struggle to help us create a safe pathway to a more resilient renewable energy system in New York. Thank you Chief for your service.

Tria Case, University Director of Sustainability and Energy Conservation at the City University of New York (CUNY) and lead for NYSolar Smart, NYC Solar Partnership.
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.