Ampion partners with UGE on four rooftop community solar projects with approximately half the electricity generated reserved to help low- to moderate-income residents save on electricity bills
Ampion, a community solar subscription and revenue management company, is partnering with UGE, a developer that owns and operates community and commercial solar and battery storage projects, to bring four rooftop community solar projects to the greater New York City area.
The four projects total 2.76 MW and include the Spare Cube site in Peekskill, New York, the Feldco site in Staten Island, the Conduit Ave. site in Queens, and a 1.3 MW project on a high-profile development in Queens. About half of the sites’ electricity production will benefit commercial subscribers, while the other half is reserved for low- to-moderate income (LMI) subscribers. Ampion reports that subscribers to these sites will receive a 10 to 15% discount on their electric bill
The Spare Cube solar installation sits on top of a self-storage facility in Peekskill, N.Y. with wireless provider T-Mobile serving as the project’s anchor energy off-taker, with 50% of the project’s energy output reserved for low- to middle-income (LMI) subscribers.
“For the vast majority of New York City residents and businesses, installing solar panels is not an option,” said Nate Owen, Ampion’s CEO. “These sites address this issue of access while bringing meaningful cost savings.”
The Staten Island project is owned by Feldco, a real estate developer, and it will be built on top of the Expressway Plaza shopping center. At just over half a megawatt, the project is expected to offset roughly 700 metric tons of CO2 emissions each year and will produce enough electricity to power approximately 140 homes. Subscribers to the Expressway Plaza community solar project will save a minimum of 10% on their electricity bills.
The Conduit Ave. project will be built atop a 116,725 square foot modern warehouse under construction located near John F. Kennedy International Airport that is owned and developed by New York City-based real estate developer Wildflower Ltd LLC.
The 1.3 MW project, which is located in New York City, is located on a building that will be the anchor energy off-taker, with remaining energy generated reserved for residents and businesses in LMI communities. The project is expected to offset roughly 1,700 metric tons of CO2 each year, or the equivalent of what would be generated by burning 200,000 gallons of gasoline.
“These projects not only generate clean energy but also provide tangible financial benefits to underserved communities,” said Nick Blitterswyk, CEO at UGE. “We’re proud to be part of this initiative and look forward to further advancing the transition to renewable energy in the region.”
The way the subscription works begins with ConEdison customers enrolling in community solar. They are then assigned to a solar farm and are allotted a share of clean energy based on their electricity usage. The amount of energy produced by their share of the solar farm appears on their ConEdison bill as credits, which replace their current charges on their ConEdison bill. Ampion reports that the subscriber receives a discount on these credits compared to the standard offer rate.
