Pulse Magazine
Spring 2017
Reuse. Reread. Recycle
A Sunny Future for Long Island
Solar Panels are quickly becoming the status quo in suburbia.
Photo Courtesy of Marvin Toussaint, Social Media Manager at NYSERDA
Photo Courtesy of Nicholas Spedale
By Sean Bates
Solar panels are popping up around Long Island suburbs like crabgrass. Solar panel installations have increased by over 600 percent according to a press release from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
“Even since 2011 when we had fewer than 5,000 [solar panel installations], we’ve grown to about 38,000,” says Bob Boerner, manager of PSEG Long Island’s Renewables Program.
The vast majority of photovoltaic, or PV, system installation growth is occurring on Long Island, placing it in the #1 spot of New York State regions in both megawatts installed and projects installed. According to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, over 24,000 PV systems have been installed on the island between 2011 and 2016. Long Island is also home to the largest solar plant in the Eastern United States near Brookhaven National Labs. New York City, Mohawk Valley, and the Mid-Hudson region are also experiencing this explosive growth in descending order behind Long Island.
But why are so many people choosing to go solar?
Tara Bono, Marketing Director of SunPower, a solar company based in Island Park says,
“It used to be the case that folks only really had one option to go solar… they used to have to purchase a solar system. Now they can either finance or lease a system. So people can go solar by putting zero dollars down and start saving right away.“
This rapid increase in growth can be chalked up to the decreasing cost of installation and increasing efficiency of solar panels. According to the New York Solar Energy Industries Association, installation prices have declined 64 percent over the past five years. Presently, every solar panel in the state is generating nearly 1,000 megawatts of energy, enough to power roughly 150,000 homes. A single megawatt of electricity can power between 150 and 1,000 homes, depending on the nature of how that electricity is generated. The controversial Indian Point Energy Center, a fission-fueled power plant slated for closure by 2021, produces roughly 2,000 megawatts. It could be possible that the staggering rise in popularity of solar energy systems has given the Cuomo administration the confidence to close down the facility. However, the state is also planning to run a power line from Canadian hydropower plants to assist in powering the state’s lower regions.
Bono says that the Long Island market is maturing, and more consumers are aware of solar energy and know how to get it.
“Last year was the first year that the total number of installations outpaced the year before it. . . .We are starting to see [the number of installations] level off a bit,” she said.
Bono continues to say that it was national companies that really helped kickstart the solar wave on Long Island, but now with demand leveling off, installations are being handled by local companies.
Statistics are only one part of the story. With thousands of people choosing to invest and go solar, it makes one wonder, “How do they do it?”
Photo Courtesy of Peter Goodman
1. Size up your house.
“We get full sun, no trees. It’s a new roof,” Peter Goodman, professor of journalism at Hofstra University, said as he listed off some things that he had to consider when having solar panels installed on his home. When installing, a homeowner needs to be aware of the amount of sunshine that hits their property and the direction in which their roof faces. Another important factor is the sturdiness of said roof. An old or worn out roof might collapse under the weight of a new solar energy system, so it’s important that your house is of sound construction before moving on.
2. Find a Solar Provider
There are dozens of local companies to choose from. An interested party can either lease their photovoltaic system, or finance their own system. While leasing is less expensive initially, the lease is paid as the solar power generates energy, but does not go away. Financing your solar panels means less in immediate savings, but after your system is paid off, the savings increase.
As Bono puts it, “It really depends on if someone wants more long-term savings or if they want short-term savings.”
Installing solar panels may also qualify you for a tax credit from the state. This tax credit can be put towards paying the installation company, alongside the savings you’d receive from installing a solar panel. Regardless, it is recommended that you shop around various companies and see what each one offers to find a company that is best for you.
3. Installation
After signing a contract with EmPower Solar in August, Goodman says the company handled all of the permitting and ordering equipment, and by the beginning of November his system was up and generating energy. Even in the dead of winter, these panels were generating over half of the electricity Goodman needed to power his home.
He knew this because his solar panels are also connected to the internet. To find out how much energy his solar panels are producing, and to chart their energy production throughout the days and weeks, all he needs to do is visit a website.
It’s that simple. After seeing if your house can handle a PV system installation and finding the right company and financing plan for you, all of the work is done by a contractor. All you need to do is sit back and relax while you save on your household electricity bill and save a little in CO2 emissions.