Last week, The New York Industrial Retention Network(NYIRN) in partnership with Solar Energy Systems (SES) announced the installation of a 15.12 kilowatt Photovoltaic (PV) system at the factory of Worksman Cycles, the oldest bicycle manufacturer in the U.S., located in Ozone Park in Queens, New York.
Through NYIRN’s RenewableNY program, Worksman Cycles met Brooklyn-based SES, a solar energy integrator speciallizing in commercial applications. SES designed and installed the system on the facility’s rooftop. It will generate more than 600,000 kilowatt-hours over its 40-year expected lifetime. Combining this production with NYC electrical cost savings programs will reduce Workman’s monthly electric bill by over 20 percent. The solar output will protect Worksman against future rate increases and lessen the burden on New York’s electricity grid.
“Because solar energy production peaks in conjunction with high usage, New York City benefits by further alleviating the need for peaking generators, which typically are the most polluting of all generation sources,” said David Buckner, President of SES.
However, one striking aspect of the 1700 sq ft system is that it is surrounded by 15,000 sq ft of empty roof space. Were it not for the restrictive net-metering policies of New York State, a much larger system might have been installed. Net-metering is the arrangement by which solar owners are able sell back excess electricity to the grid that is produced by their systems when solar production exceeds building consumption. This policy helps reduce the time it takes to pay back the initial cost of a solar system, and is widely recognized as being essential to building a viable solar market. New York State’s net-metering laws currently only allow small residential systems (10kW or smaller) to net-meter.
Not only is a system owner like Workman Cycles unable to currently net-meter, if it were to install a larger system that might at any point produce more electricity than is consumed by the building, it would be required to install an expensive piece of hardware called a reverse power relay that restricts solar electricity from entering the grid. The equipment can cost between $10,000 and $40,000. The result: in the absence of wider net-metering laws, there is a major financial disincentive for installing large solar systems in New York.
This spring, the New York State Legislature will likely vote on a new net-metering bill that would expand the law to include non-residential buildings while also dramatically raising the cap on the allowable size of systems. This would enable rooftops like Workman Cycle’s to add bigger solar systems.
Therefore take action: call your State Senator and Assembly Member today and urge them to support expanded net-metering!
