Commercial, Solar  -  November 13, 2017

Blackstone plans massive rooftop solar project in NYC

Blackstone and Ivanhoé Cambridge announced Nov. 8 plans for a private multi-family residential rooftop solar project in New York City, the largest of its kind in the United States.

The 3.8-MW installation is planned to include 9,671 high-efficiency solar panels and span the 22 acres of rooftops across Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, according to a news release. The StuyTown apartment complex, which will house the installation, includes more than 11,200 multi-family units across 56 buildings in Manhattan's East Village.

Developers of the project expect it will generate enough energy to power more than 1,000 New York City apartments annually.

"In 2015 we made a commitment to preserve StuyTown's unique heritage and be responsible stewards of its future," Nadeem Meghji, Head of Real Estate Americas at Blackstone, said in a statement. "This innovative solar project is one of many initiatives we designed and implemented to make the community more sustainable and environmentally friendly."

The rooftop solar project follows other green initiatives implemented by the apartment complex, including the installation of LED lighting, high-efficiency hot water heat exchangers, elevator shaft louvers to minimize heat loss and domestic water flow control valves and a centralized building management system.

Onyx Renewable Partners, the developer of the project, expects it to be finished in 2019 after development begins this winter.