Massive Solar Installation Completed in New York

YONKERS, N.Y. — i.Park Hudson, an office building complex that houses government offices for the city of Yonkers, Westchester County and the New York State Division of Motor Vehicles, recently became a major landmark for the solar revolution, with the addition of two football fields worth of solar panels. The solar installations stretch across four different roofs in the eight-building complex, which is also home for private groups such as St. Joseph’s Hospital, Skil-Care Corporation and Kawasaki Rail Cars. A ribbon cutting was held for the project in early December.

This project marked the first installation in New York for Half Moon Ventures, a Chicago solar and wind energy developer.

“The environmental benefits, including easing demand on the grid and reducing carbon emissions, are tremendous” Michael Hastings, CEO of Half Moon Ventures, said. “This is a win-win on a very large scale, and we hope that this project provides a template and role model for future commercial energy projects here in New York and beyond.”

The $5 million project was completely funded by the company, which gets paid back with a percentage of the energy savings. The deal allows National Resources, the real estate firm that owns the property, to lock in a large amount of its energy rates for the next 20 years. The solar installations will provide 15 percent of the 24-acre complex’s energy needs. Two on-site inverters will convert the power from direct current, the form the solar panels generate, to alternating current, the format needed to power the building.

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano was excited to add solar power to his government offices, as he has been an advocate in this area, co-sponsoring the New York Solar Industry Development and Jobs Act as a member of the state assembly in 2011.

“Private sector investments such as this play an important role in helping to blaze the trail toward a greener, stronger New York,” the mayor said.

Hastings added that, “This site is a good fit for solar because it has enough rooftop square footage to locate the panels and inverters, because the cost of electricity in this region is fairly high, and because the tenant base consumes enough electricity to make the cost savings significant.”

The project will be fully operational by mid-December and will generate 1.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, enough to power over 120 homes. The solar installations will remove the equivalent of 160 cars worth of greenhouse emissions from the buildings’ operations. This type of solar system has a life expectancy of 20 years.

William W. Fetterley, chief operating officer for Half Moon Ventures, said he hoped this project would generate interest among other organizations in the region.

“We believe there are a number of commercial properties in this region that are good candidates for solar power — whether it’s roof-mounted like at i.Park or ground-mounted where there’s enough land for that. Especially in regions like the Northeast, where electricity is expensive, solar is a solid proposition for all concerned,” he explained.