Brooklyn Solar Installations Help New York City Triple Capacity

April 10, 2012 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
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BROOKLYN — Solar power installations on city-owned buildings in Brooklyn have helped the city triple its production of solar power and save money on annual energy costs, according to Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Two Brooklyn buildings — New Horizons High School at 317 Hoyt St. in Boerum Hill and a Sanitation Department garage at  1397 Ralph Ave in East Flatbush — were among the 10 solar project sites that recently installed photovoltaic panels as a result of grants from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

These buildings join already-existing solar installations in Brooklyn such as the IKEA store in Red Hook, which has installed 1,104 solar panels on its roof, and the Coney Island Stillwell Avenue subway terminal, which has a rooftop of 2,730 solar panels.

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Sites announced yesterday in the other boroughs were at police precinct houses, another high school, a Department of Transportation maintenance shop, a Fire Department equipment repair shop and two other Sanitation Department garages.

Altogether, the 10 projects will provide enough solar energy to power 143 households, according to the Mayor’s Office.

Bloomberg made the announcements at the opening of the new Flatiron office of Efficiency 2.0, a tech start-up that helps energy utilities engage with their customers to reduce energy consumption.

“In clean tech, New York City is leading by example and the solar projects we’ve completed will generate clean, affordable energy while cutting our carbon emissions and energy costs – goals that are central to our Administration’s sustainability agenda, PlaNYC,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “We’re also committed to tapping into the power of the private sector and with the success of startups like Efficiency 2.0, we are making our city the place to be for innovation.”

This summer, New York City will also launch “Reinvent Green,” its first “green” hackathon that will focus on sustainability and the urban environment. Hosted by PlaNYC, the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications and NYC Digital, the two-day event invites developers and designers to use the city’s environmental open data sets to create digital tools and apps that empower New Yorkers to engage in more sustainable practices.


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