You know the phrase, "Out of sight, out of mind"? This could never be so wrong as when considering the rooftops of New York's buildings. As we go to our workplace or school, we may never notice or care about the flat rooftops that keep the weather out. After one of the hottest summers on record, it is time for all to focus on our rooftops as offering New York an energy salvation. Maybe you haven't thought much about Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV's), but you should know that The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), as well as LIPA, NYPA and Con-Ed increasingly support solar power through financial incentives and grants for the installation of sizable, grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) power systems. These systems convert sunlight into electricity.

Rooftop power

Rooftop solar arrays sited on top of commercial and government buildings help deliver valuable peak power through the use of emission-free and reliable solar electric systems. Considering how many buildings we have across New York State, you begin to see that our miles upon square miles of rooftops are an underutilized asset. According to Dr. Richard Perez, Research Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at SUNY -Albany, if you covered a mere 0.75% of New York's total area with PV's, you would generate enough power over the year to meet the state's energy needs. Moreover, buildings, parking lots and roadways already cover almost 3% of New York's total land mass!

Climate Perfect

Contrary to what many believe, New York's weather is very good for solar power since most of the "juice" is generated during the peak power season - from May through September. These are the most expensive months in New York to operate centrally located fossil fuel or nuclear power plants.

Also, solar power is generated and fed directly into the building during the peak daytime hours when electricity use and power demand is highest. In other words, PV's on buildings put power where and when it is needed most.

Solar Makes $en$e

Solar technology is increasingly practical and affordable. Prices have fallen by 90% over the last 20 years, with wholesale module prices well below $3.50 per watt. Global demand for PV modules is growing 30% to 50% per year and there's been a significant increase in the number of large-scale PV systems that are connected to the grid. To meet the growing demand, PV module makers have boosted production capacities that integrate automated processes and secure further cost reductions through economies of scale. These developments are enabling solar PV to compete directly with traditional sources of electricity with decreasing incentives. Accomplishing this level playing field is a long sought after goal for the industry.

Solar electric systems belong on New York's' building rooftops because the technology makes economic sense. The power grid across New York has hit generating and transmission capacity limits that threaten its long-term ability to serve the future needs of New York's economy. New power plants and transmission lines are too costly and difficult to permit and site, and often require disruptions of natural features and settled communities.

Older, dirtier coal-fired plants, nuclear plants pose environmental threats to the population and will burden New York ratepayers with large, ongoing maintenance and decommissioning costs. Additionally, renewable resources such as solar power help ensure our energy independence and security by reducing our reliance on foreign fossil fuels and provide opportunities for distributed energy on site which require no transmission and create no targets.

The technology is available today to provide commercial scale photovoltaic (PV) installations to generate solar power on our buildings at attractive prices in amounts sufficient to alleviate the current stress and higher costs of running the existing power grid at full capacity on peak power days.

Today's solar power arrays provide AT LEAST 30 years of clean and reliable power with little maintenance required and come with a 25-year warranty on power output. Installation of the solar system is fast and easy, working in parallel with the grid as a supplement to utility power.

Solar cost effective

Using BIPV's, a building's owner would see significant savings through avoided energy purchases of kilowatt/hours (kWh) and reduced power demand of the building, in kilowatts (KW).

Currently, there are grants available to install PV on new construction or renovations through NYSERDA's New Construction Program - "PON 593" which will provide a grant up to $5 per watt to a maximum of 70% of the cost of the system.

Here is a generic example: A 60kW NYSERDA "PON 593" project would cost $450,000, turn key. The net to the building owner is $135,000 (30%). Take away the 10% Federal Tax Credit and the 5 year Accelerated Depreciation for solar equipment and you have a bottom line cost of $70,000.

Annual savings for the system to the building owner depend on several variables. Lumped together with a cost of power at $0.125 per kWh, the system delivers about $10,000 in 'savings' - a seven year payback.

Westchester can take a proactive stance and begin to apply building-integrated solar solutions into their existing buildings.

While incentives exist for new construction today, NYSERDA plans to offer funding opportunities to enable existing buildings to retrofit with PV technology.

At the government level, even solar installations not supported by incentives make economic sense as the application of long-term bond financing can help bridge the gap between capital costs for the equipment and the savings that accrue during the life of the system so that the impact on the government budget would be essentially neutral.

Rooftop power plants can help New York enter a smarter, sustainable energy future. For more information contact NYSERDA, or email David at deisenbud@powerlight.com

David Eisenbud is the Northeast Region Project Development Manager at PowerLight Corporation, headquartered in Berkeley, California.

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