March 31, 2020
Long Island community solar may be lagging behind somewhat in terms of its deployment, especially in comparison to other areas of New York, but the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) is striving to improve this. New proposals from LIPA & PSEG Long Island look set to transform the prospects of Long Island community solar for developers and energy consumers alike.
Long Island Community Solar: By The Numbers
Long Island has been a hub of New York solar installations, but has fallen behind somewhat in terms of community solar deployment. However, LIPA is making moves to improve this. Below, you’ll find some numbers outlining the progress of Long Island community solar thus far.
3 MW (megawatts) of Long Island community solar has been developed over the past 2 years.
Currently, there are 34 MW of community solar projects in the pipeline for Long Island.
LIPA & PSEG-LI are aiming to double Long Island’s community solar market—if not more than double it—while also providing discounts to over 3,000 low-and-moderate income (LMI) customers.
VDER & Long Island Community Solar Incentives
As noted in our recent blog post, LIPA have also increased community solar credits for Long Island projects. This incentive boost has been welcomed by solar developers & entrepreneurs operating in the area, although some feel there is still more to be done for Long Island to catch up to the growth of community solar elsewhere.
The community credit is increasing to 5 cents per KWh (kilowatt hour), a big jump from the previous rate of 2.25 cents per KWh.
This community credit will be reviewed after the Feed-in Tariff V auction in Q4 2020, with the potential for further increases.
A rebate of $200 per KW (kilowatt) will be established for projects under 750 KW in size.
From January 2021, PSEG-LI consolidated billing with net crediting will be on offer, reducing program administrative costs for developers.
Community Benefits of Long Island Community Solar
The further deployment and increased development of community solar projects across Long Island looks set to offer a number of benefits to local communities. Community solar doesn’t just help solar developers, it’s an egalitarian solution for all Long Island residents and energy consumers.
There is a forthcoming Feed-in Tariff V auction for 25 MW DC of community solar.
The first 20 MW of community solar will be dedicated to LMI customers.
An option to expand the program to 40 MW, if successful, is in place.
If you want to go solar on Long Island, contact YSG Solar today. YSG has over a decade of experience in the solar industry, building solar projects of all shapes and sizes throughout New York and surrounding states. Send us an email, or call at 212.389.9215 to get started, or learn a little more.
By Shane Croghan
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