Solar Array Mounted On Ossining Operations Center

OSSINING, NY — A state-of-the-art solar array now operating on the roof of the Ossining Operations Center is the result of a partnership between Ecogy Energy, Sustainable Westchester, the New York Power Authority and Westchester County.

The system was built in just six weeks by Croton Energy Group for Brooklyn-based Ecogy Energy, a developer, financier, and owner-operator of distributed energy resources, village officials said. It is producing 149.2 kW of DC electricity to support the village’s Department of Public Works.

"This project cements Ossining’s reputation as a leader in New York’s energy transition," Village Mayor Rika Levin said in the announcement. "We will continue to pilot innovative ways of decarbonizing our community that increase prosperity and help the environment."

The new community solar system is largely invisible to the public eye, as it is sited on the roof of the Ossining Public Works Department, off New York Route 9A. It was constructed without any tree clearing, village officials said.

The project is the first to emerge from the Westchester Community Solar Partnership, which aims to expand Westchester’s municipal solar portfolio and circulate the benefits of clean, affordable solar energy.

Community solar projects allow multiple parties to benefit from the same solar array, according to WCSP officials. Each party that signs up for the project receives credits from its local utility. Community solar projects democratize solar energy, making it accessible to those who may not have space to accommodate solar panels themselves.

The array will increase the percentage of electricity that Westchester gets from renewable energy sources, ultimately making the county’s fuel mix greener and more affordable, and it will help York State in its effort to combat climate change by generating more of its energy from renewable resources, WCSP officials said.

"It’s a great day for solar in Westchester," said Leo Wiegman, Director of Solar Programs at Sustainable Westchester. "Community solar projects are a community effort. It takes federal and state level initiatives, coupled with the determination and expertise of our partners at Ecogy and NYPA to deliver these solutions. But now, the electrons circulating through our grid will be a little cleaner, and the power will be a little cheaper, so our hard work has paid off."

Sustainable Westchester, the designated community subscriber for the WCSP, will collaborate with Ecogy to enroll local residents in the program, offering reduced energy bills for program participants. Sustainable Westchester is a nonprofit consortium of Westchester County local governments.

The WCSP prioritizes benefiting low-to-moderate income individuals and communities. All of the subscribers to the system atop the Ossining Operations Center will be local Ossining residents.

Ecogy’s other projects in Westchester County include the largest solar canopy in the county above the parking lot of the Maryknoll Society in Ossining and systems in Yorktown and Croton-on-Hudson.

"Given the enormous challenge of meeting energy demand with clean sources, and the enormous opportunity for economic growth and environmental healing that solar energy provides, the support of municipalities like Ossining is absolutely crucial," said Brock Gibian, Ecogy’s VP of Development. "There’s no time to lose in this race, and local support puts the wind in our sails to take us across the finish line. Westchester has our gratitude for its enduring and invaluable support."