Shared Solar Energy Garden Coming To Sunset Park

SUNSET PARK, NY — Residents and businesses in Sunset Park could get cheaper utility bills by joining a planned subscription-based, shared solar garden.

The city's Economic Development Corporation announced plans Wednesday to build a 100,000-square-foot community solar garden on the rooftop of the Brooklyn Army Terminal to help more people switch to renewable energy.

"In launching this effort, we’re able to deliver clean, affordable energy to the community while adding to the roster of innovative products made at the Brooklyn Army Terminal," EDC president and CEO James Patchett said in a statement.

The pilot program aims to make it easier for residents around the city to switch to solar energy. More than 70 percent of people can't because they either rent and don't own their roof or don't have space to install panels if they do own, said Tria Case, director of sustainability and energy conservation at CUNY.

The proposal would eliminate the need for their own panels by getting a group to build and maintain a large one at the Brooklyn Army Terminal then let people pay a monthly membership fee, instead of an electricity bill, to tap into it, the EDC said.

The cost of the subscription and how much power generated by the garden will be determined by the operator of the garden, but the fee must be cheaper than existing electricity costs, according to the RFP.

Similar shared solar gardens have also been in the works around the city, including one in East New York that finished construction earlier this month, but the Brooklyn Army Terminal would be one of the largest using city property, the EDC said.

The EDC put out requests on Wednesday for solar providers and community organizations to build the garden and launch the program.

A solar company must partner with a local group for the project, the EDC said. Deadline's for the application are due on May 23.

Image: New York City Economic Development Corporation