Javits Center Roof Will Have Most Solar Panels In NYC, Gov Says

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — The rooftop of Midtown Manhattan's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center will become the largest rooftop solar array in New York City, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday.

The state has selected solar panel developer Siemens to install the array, which will generate up to 1.4 megawatts of renewable energy, Cuomo announced in a statement. The governor's administration and the New York Power Authority helped the Javits center launch a request for bids for the solar array in 2018.

"Installing solar technology on the roof of the busiest convention center in the United States sets an industry standard for venues throughout New York and across the nation on how best to embrace renewable energy," Cuomo said in a statement.

The project calls for the installation of 4,000 solar panels on HVAC units on the Javits Centers roof and an additional street-level solar array on 11th Avenue. Most of the Javits Center's rooftop is already covered with vegetation to create a "green roof," which contributes to rain absorption and other energy-saving measures.

The governor said that initiatives like the Javits rooftop solar array will help achieve a goal to make New York State's electricity 100 percent carbon-free by 2040 and 70 percent carbon-free as soon as 2030.

The Javits Center rooftop project will offset about 1.3 million pounds of carbon emissions each year, which is the equivalent of taking 262 cars off the road, state officials said.

Siemens will own and operate the solar array and sell the energy generated to the New York Power Authority. The authority will then sell the energy directly to the Javits Center. Construction is expected to begin on the project in 2020.

"Our green roof has become a model of sustainability for buildings throughout the Empire State, and we are proud to work with the New York Power Authority to further expand our environmental impact," Alan Steel, President and CEO of the company that operates the Javits Center, said in a statement.