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The SolSmart Gold designation recognizes that New York City is a great place for solar companies to do business. When we entered the city’s solar market in 2002, we identified plenty of barriers, including unruly regulations, high system costs, and a lack of customer awareness. We have worked with the City University of New York and other installers and advocacy groups over the years to identify and erase many of the hurdles related to permitting, interconnection, and customer uptake. Today, New York City is one of the largest, most advanced solar markets in the country.David Buckner, President of Solar Energy Systems, LLC
SolSmart Criteria
Program Highlights
Case Study
SolSmart Criteria
Created an online permitting checklist, increasing transparency for community members and solar installers
Reviewed local zoning codes and identified restrictions that intentionally or unintentionally prohibit solar PV development
Allowed solar by-right accessory use in all zones (so solar installations don’t require special permits or hearings)
Cross-trained both inspection and permitting staff on solar PV
Provided a streamlined permitting pathway for small PV systems
Program Highlights
Created a streamlined process to approve certain solar permit applications over the counter
Created and shared an interactive solar map of the community called NY Solar Map
Integrated a 100kW solar PV array and 720kWh battery bank at the Brooklyn Army Terminal to demonstrate the benefits of solar plus storage (smart grids)
Developed feasiblity analysis with NREL for resilient solar technologies for critical facilities including a school, fire station, and senior center