East Hampton Town’s first solar-plus-battery storage system will be installed on the roof of the Parks Department building on the City Hall campus. The 75-kilowatt photovoltaic system will generate clean, renewable electricity and charge a 137-kilowatt-hour battery, which will allow the city to sell excess electricity to the grid when demand and prices are highest.
Working with the New York Power Authority, the city selected Solar Liberty, an installer based in Buffalo, and Inclusive Prosperity Capital, its funding partner for the project, to develop the system in a competitive process.
NYPA recommended installing the system as part of the city’s efforts to meet its goal of 100 percent renewable energy. The project also supports the country’s solar and energy storage goals to combat climate change, which include the state generating 70 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
The solar system is financed through a 20-year electricity purchase agreement with Inclusive Prosperity Capital without any up-front costs for the city. Such an arrangement also allows the city to benefit from the reimbursement of expenses through tax credits. The battery was added for free to the city with support from NYPA.
According to a statement from City Hall last week.
“Not only will this project reduce carbon emissions and make the City Hall campus more resilient, it is estimated that it will save taxpayers at least $ 10,000 annually between invoice credits and reduced electricity bills,” Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said in the statement .
Other municipal buildings were also considered for solar and energy storage, but the Parks Department was found to be the best candidate for immediate installation. Solar panels produce electricity at the Montauk Police Station and the Lamb Building in Amagansett, which houses the Housing and Community Development Office and city administrators.
The city’s solar portfolio also includes the independently operated Accabonac solar farm and the Solarize East Hampton campaign, which offers discounts on solar panels to residents and local businesses. You can find information at energieeh.org.
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