3,000+ Solar Panels Installed At Brooklyn Navy Yard - One Of Largest Arrays In City

Solar array at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. (Photo: Mayor’s Office)

Yesterday the de Blasio administration helped to dedicate a new 3,152-panel rooftop solar installation at the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard.

The project, which will generate 1.1 million kilowatt hours of energy annually, will bring New York City a “significant step closer” toward the administration’s sustainability goals, the Mayor’s Office said.

The de Blasio administration has set a target of 1,000 MW of solar energy installed across the five boroughs by 2030, enough to power more than 250,000 homes. And the Mayor’s Office says it wants to see 100 MW of renewable energy on public buildings by 2025.

The new solar installation on the rooftop of Navy Yard Building 293 is one of the largest rooftop solar installations in New York City, the Mayor’s Office said yesterday. ConEdison Solutions installed the project using almost $626,000 in state incentives. ConEd will also operate and maintain the installation.

The Brooklyn Navy Yard is owned by the City of New York and managed by a not-for-profit development corporation. Established in 1801, the Navy Yard served as a military facility for more than 150 years, and is now an industrial park with more than 300 businesses employing over 7,000 people.

“We’re doubling jobs at the Navy Yard, and those workers, computers and machines will need sustainable energy. On rooftops across the city, we’re installing new solar panels to cut emissions, create green jobs and save money,” said Mayor de Blasio.

Long-Term Goal — Reducing Climate Warming Gas Emissions

The City’s long-term goal of an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050 “will require a transformation in our energy sector,” observed Daniel Zarrilli, NYC’s Senior Director of Climate Policy and Programs. “A dramatic expansion of solar power is critical to that effort.”

Solar power in New York State has grown 575 percent between 2012 and 2015, the state Energy Research and Development Authority reports. The State has invested $1 billion — via its NY-Sun program — toward building a solar energy market.

“Investments like this support the creation of good ‘cleantech’ jobs,” Zarrilli said, adding that they also help to “build a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable New York City.”

The energy produced by the Navy Yard’s solar array has the potential to replace 76,000 gallons of gasoline annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.4 million pounds.

“We’re always looking for ways to be greener and more energy efficient,” said Navy Yard President David Ehrenburg in a statement. “The Yard is already on the cutting edge of technology and manufacturing, and with this solar installation we can now call the Yard a leader in renewable energy as well.”

In 2011, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at BLDG 92 was opened to the public, serving as an exhibition, visitors and employment center. BLDG 92 explores the Yard’s past, present and future, and its role as a “national model for sustainable urban industry and job creation.”