2.3 MW solar array completed by BlueRock Solar and Renovus Solar

Enfield, NY According to governor Andrew Cuomo, the largest community solar project in Tompkins County has been completed and is fully operational. 373 households, as well as a local church, are benefitting from the 2.3-megawatt solar array which supports governor Cuomo’s mandate for half of all electricity consumed to come from renewable energy sources by 2030. The project also complements “Southern Tier Soaring,” the region’s comprehensive strategy to generate robust economic growth and community development.

“Clean, renewable energy is critical to combatting climate change and protecting our environment for current and future generations of New Yorkers,” Governor Cuomo said. “With the addition of this community solar project, we are continuing our commitment to a green future and to a more resilient, affordable energy grid.”

The solar array includes 6,804 solar panels on 13 acres. In addition to the 373 households, Our Lady of Good Counsel in Endicott has also subscribed to this community solar project. The 2.3-megawatt solar array will reduce greenhouse gases by 1,430 metric tons annually, the equivalent of removing 306 cars from the road.

Alicia Barton, NYSERDA President and CEO said, “Community solar projects are becoming increasingly popular for the very simple reason that they provide access to clean energy to those who may not have the right location or resources to install panels on their rooftops. I applaud the Tompkins County residents who have joined together to lower their energy costs and reduce carbon emissions in support of governor Cuomo’s clean energy agenda.”

The solar array was developed by BlueRock Solar and Renovus Solar with BlueRock also handling customer acquisition and service, along with the monthly interface with NYSEG, the local utility company. It is owned by New Energy Equity.

Michael Francis BlueRock Solar general manager said, “Since the community solar project is a subscription style project, it provides the easiest and cheapest way for customers to go solar as there is no upfront payment required to join.  There is no credit check, customers sign a contract for as short as one year, and with the project being net metered, we provide discounts to utility supply and delivery rates.  It is a tremendous program benefitting both the environment and our customers.”

Joe Sliker, president, Renovus Solar, said, “It was a pleasure to work with the team at BlueRock, NYSERDA’s project representatives, and all the talented engineers on both side of the table to bring this project online. Renovus’ goal has always been to bring solar power to the masses, and every watt of solar power we develop with partners like BlueRock help bring New York closer to its energy infrastructure goals.”

Matthew Hankey, president of New Energy Equity said, “We are very excited to have partnered with Blue Rock on our first New York community solar garden. New York has been a strong market for us for schools and municipalities. It’s great to be able to add residential subscribers into our portfolio now as well. Hopefully, this will be the first of many such projects for us.”

NY-Sun is governor Cuomo’s $1 billion initiative to advance the scale-up of solar and move the state closer to having a sustainable, self-sufficient solar industry. Since 2011, solar in the state has increased over 1,000%, leveraged $2.8 billion in private investments and has more than 12,000 people engaged in solar jobs across the state.

Community solar projects—one of many initiatives under governor Cuomo’s $1 billion NY-Sun program—increase access to solar in areas where residents may not own property or have ideal conditions to install solar panels by enabling them to subscribe to a local community solar project. Once households and businesses subscribe, energy is still delivered through their regular electric provider while the power produced from the community solar array is fed directly back to the electric grid. As a result, the grid is supplied with clean, renewable energy and subscribers receive a credit on their electric bills. NY-Sun is administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

More than 84,000 solar installations have been supported by NYSERDA throughout New York State to date, with over 5,004 projects currently in the pipeline, including 700 megawatts of Community Solar. In 2018, through June, New York was ranked third nationally in residential and non-residential solar installed. In addition, during the months of July and August 2018, New York completed 80 megawatts of solar projects - the highest amount completed in two months in the state’s history.