Con Edison customers in Queens installed more solar energy in 2010 than customers anywhere else in New York, according to figures released on February 10 – solar experts attribute that to large commercial buildings in the borough and increased awareness.
Solar energy or simply, energy from the sun has its benefits and disadvantages. The initial cost is the main disadvantage of installing a solar energy system, largely because of the high cost of the semi-conducting materials used in building one. Solar panels require quite a large area for installation to achieve a good level of efficiency. The efficiency of the system also relies on the location of the sun.
Solar Energy systems are virtually maintenance free and will last for decades. Solar Energy is clean, renewable and sustainable, helping to protect the environment. After the initial investment has been recovered, the energy from the sun is practically free because solar energy does not require any fuel.
Based on the numbers released by Con Edison, residents of Queens are starting to believe that the pros of solar energy outweigh the cons.
Queens customers installed over 1,500 kilowatts of solar capacity last year, compared with just over 1,100 kilowatts installed in Westchester County, which was second in the Con Edison service area. In 2009, Queens customers installed 335 kilowatts of solar generation. Queens customers completed 64 solar projects at their homes and businesses last year, four times as many as the 16 they completed in 2009.
The dramatic rise comes at a time when Con Edison is working with the City University of New York (CUNY) on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar America City program to increase awareness of the benefits of solar power.
“We reached out to our customers and explained the economic and environmental benefits of using sun power in their homes and businesses,” said Robert Schimmenti, Con Edison’s vice president for engineering and planning. “We shortened our approval process for residential systems – those under 25 kilowatts – and created a website where customers can submit their applications.”
Con Edison is working with city and state agencies and CUNY on the 100 Days of Solar program, which aims to reduce the time it takes a customer to get the approvals to install solar panels by improving coordination across agencies.
“The 2010 numbers show that by working together to improve the process we can help New York City adopt solar energy and other clean technologies,” said University Director of Sustainability at CUNY and lead implementer of the NYC Solar America City plan, Tria Case.
In addition to increased awareness of the benefits of solar energy and expedited approval process, solar experts believe that Queens is the ideal location for installation.
“One of the easiest places to do a solar installation is on a low, flat building with high energy usage. Many industrial buildings in Queens fit this profile. Also, in many areas of Queens there aren’t tall buildings to shade adjacent buildings. These two factors combine to give Queens excellent potential for solar,” said Andrew McNamara, solar expert and vice president of new construction and renewables at Bright Power, Inc.
Con Edison and CUNY believe that the use of solar energy will continue to increase and they are making more efforts to promote the cause in the future.
“This is only the beginning. Later this year we will launch an interactive Solar Map that will be accessible to the public and that will help planners chart New York City’s clean energy future,” said Case.
