Community Shared Solar at NYCHA March 30, 2020 Chris White, Capital - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Community Shared Solar at NYCHA

March 30, 2020 Chris White, Capital Projects Sustainability Programs

About NYCHA NYCHA Houses 1 in 14 New Yorkers

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About NYCHA NYCHA’s Housing Stock is Aging

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About NYCHA NextGeneration Sustainability Agenda

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• NYCHA’s commitment as a landlord

to create healthy and comfortable homes that will withstand the challenge of climate change

• An invitation to residents and

surrounding communities to work with NYCHA to realize a shared long- term vision of equity, sustainability, and resiliency

• Strategy S2: Raise revenue

through clean and distributed energy projects

NYCHA’s 25 MW Solar Program Goals

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• Host 25 MW of solar PV capacity by

2025 (HUD Renew300 commitment)

• Generate revenue for NYCHA
• Provide job training and green jobs

for NYCHA residents

• Reduce energy costs for NYCHA

residents who pay their own utility bills, Section 8 tenants, and other low-income renters in NYC

NYCHA’s 25 MW Solar Program Community Shared Solar (CSS)

• All NYCHA solar systems are roof leases for Community Shared Solar
• NYCHA gets its power from the New York Power Authority (NYPA),

which has low rates (making PPAs uneconomical) and has historically forbid NYCHA from subscribing to community solar

• Community Shared Solar at NYCHA will:
• Leverage an under-used asset (our roofs) to provide public benefit
• Provide modest lease revenue at no cost to NYCHA
• Expand solar access to low- and moderate-income New Yorkers,

especially those living in multifamily housing who could otherwise not access solar power

• Nurture a nascent market

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Corner Store Bronx Non-Profit Smith Family

Community Shared Solar Enables many customers to buy solar power

Bronx Non- Profit Smith Family Corner Store

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Sustainable CUNY

• Works on multiple city, state, and federal

initiatives to reduce “soft costs” of going solar

• LiDAR analysis of NYCHA roofs
• Continued help with publicity, evaluation,

workforce and consumer protection items ICF

• Provided technical assistance under HUD’s

Renew300 program

• Continued assistance via NYSERDA grants

NYCHA’s 25 MW Solar Program NYCHA Partners

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Commercial Solar Program

• Large sites (campuses with individual roofs over 40 kW)
• Commercial-scale developers
• Goal is to maximize lease payments

Accelerating Community Empowered Shared Solar (ACCESSolar)

• Smaller and more scattered sites
• Focus on local developers working with CBOs/non-profits
• Nominal lease payments may be OK

NYCHA’s 25 MW Solar Program Two halves: Commercial and ACCESSolar

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• Both will help reach NYCHA’s 25 MW

goal

• Both programs focus on roofs that

are new/not planned to be replaced in near future

• Requirement to hire and train

NYCHA residents

• Requirement to enroll low- and

moderate-income residents, including those NYCHA households that pay their own electric bills

NYCHA’s 25 MW Solar Program Commercial and ACCESSolar common goals

Photo credit: Bright Power

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• Two proposers selected-

up to 6 MW of power on 90 roofs and 13 parking lots across 8 developments

• $3.5 million in lease

payments over the next 20 years

• First lease signed at

Queensbridge North and South in 2019- 2.0 MW across 27 buildings

NYCHA’s Commercial Solar Program 2017 Solar RFP

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• Up to 28 jobs for NYCHA residents (mostly in installation, with a

couple in subscriber outreach) across both projects

• Expect to subscribe 550-750 LMI households, with 10-20%

savings off ConEd rate

• 17 NYCHA residents currently receiving solar installation training

as part of the Queensbridge project

• First installations will go online this year- Queensbridge solar

will be the largest community solar array in New York City

NYCHA’s Commercial Solar Program Energy and Jobs for All

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• Open online application

process held in late 2018

• Included over 300 roofs

across 60+ developments

• Teams required to include

local non-profit or community-based

• rganizations
• Shared Solar Gateway by

CUNY to help make connections

NYCHA’s ACCESSolar Program Building a New Model for Solar

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• Five teams were selected to develop full proposals on up

to 6 MW worth of roofs

• License agreement for site access in advance of Full

Proposals, including commitments and design details

• This is a collaborative effort: knowledge-sharing and
• utreach meetings coordinated by NYCHA and CUNY
• Two proposals in so far, currently undergoing evaluation

and lease negotiation

NYCHA’s ACCESSolar Program Implementation

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• #1 Challenge- Lease Negotiations
• Public agencies have many restrictions on lease terms, both technical

and programmatic

• Community solar is still very new here- trying to build a model that

works legally and financially

• Hope to use the first couple leases as a model for other agencies
• Small sites (but large for NYC!)- the goal is to spread solar and

save renters some $$$, not to get rich

• Good news- some bureaucratic hurdles are being lifted
• Consolidated billing
• NYSERDA Multifamily Housing Adder now includes community solar

NYCHA’s 25 MW Solar Program Hurdles and Lessons Learned

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• First systems (both Commercial and ACCESSolar) expected

to go online this year

• Future rounds of solar to come as NYCHA continues to

replace its roofs- incorporate lessons learned

• Work with internal NYCHA stakeholders to develop best

practices for solar on our roofs

• Overcome legal hurdles
• Not just NYCHA- build a model for community solar

across the city

NYCHA’s 25 MW Program 2020 and Beyond

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Thank you!

Christopher White Christopher.White2@nycha.nyc.gov

NYCHA Going Solar