Solar Tribune

SunEdison PV installation to increase NYC’s solar capacity by 50%

by

SunEdison will build New York City’s largest solar power installation on the site of what was once the world’s largest landfill site.

Freshkills landfill covers 2,200 acres on Staten Island, and was closed in 2001. Since 2006, officials have worked to convert the landfill to a park.

And in a few years, about 47 acres of the park will house New York City’s largest solar energy installation. Construction on the project will begin in 2015, and the installation will be built by SunEdison.

“Freshkills was once the site of the largest landfill in the world. Soon it will be one of the City’s largest parks, and the site of the largest solar power installation ever developed within the five boroughs,” said New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Credit: NYC.gov, photo rendering by James Corner Field Operations

Credit: NYC.gov, photo rendering by James Corner Field Operations

“[W]e will increase the amount of solar energy produced in New York City by 50 percent and it is only fitting that Freshkills, once a daily dumping ground, will become a showcase urban renewal and sustainability.”

The 10 MW installation, which will have between 30,000 and 35,000 solar panels, is an important part of reaching the city’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30-percent by 2030. Those 10 MW are enough to power around 2,000 homes.

“SunEdison applauds New York City’s innovative approach to environmental sustainability,” said Attila Toth, SunEdison’s General Manager.

“The solar systems we intend to build at Freshkills Park will be tangible proof of the Mayor’s commitment to renewable energy, and will serve as a model of public private partnerships by providing economic benefit to both the city and businesses located within the five boroughs,” he continued.

 

Recent Posts