Community Shared Solar at NYCHA March 30, 2020 Chris White, Capital Projects Sustainability Programs
About NYCHA NYCHA Houses 1 in 14 New Yorkers 2
About NYCHA NYCHA’s Housing Stock is Aging 3
About NYCHA NextGeneration Sustainability Agenda • 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 4
NYCHA’s 25 MW Solar Program Goals • 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 5
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 6
Community Shared Solar Enables many customers to buy solar power Bronx Non- Bronx Corner Corner Non-Profit Profit Store Store Smith Smith Family Family 7
NYCHA’s 25 MW Solar Program NYCHA Partners 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 8
NYCHA’s 25 MW Solar Program Two halves: Commercial and ACCESSolar 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 9
NYCHA’s 25 MW Solar Program Commercial and ACCESSolar common goals • 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, Photo credit: Bright Power including those NYCHA households that pay their own electric bills 10
NYCHA’s Commercial Solar Program 2017 Solar RFP • 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 11
NYCHA’s Commercial Solar Program Energy and Jobs for All • 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 12
NYCHA’s ACCESSolar Program Building a New Model for Solar • 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 organizations • Shared Solar Gateway by CUNY to help make connections 13
NYCHA’s ACCESSolar Program Implementation • 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 outreach meetings coordinated by NYCHA and CUNY • Two proposals in so far, currently undergoing evaluation and lease negotiation 14
NYCHA’s 25 MW Solar Program Hurdles and Lessons Learned • #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 15
NYCHA’s 25 MW Program 2020 and Beyond • 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 16
NYCHA Going Solar Thank you! Christopher White Christopher.White2@nycha.nyc.gov 17
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