A landlord in Queens, New York, has installed solar technology on more than half the buildings it owns in the borough.
Solar panels have been installed on 26 of the 45 buildings Zara Realty owns and manages in Queens, enough to power more than 125 households, producing 1.3 million kWh and representing about half the 2.7 million kWh that will be produced when the project is complete at the end of the year.
Zara is converting all energy use in the common areas of its Queens buildings to solar energy. Nearly 3,000 of the planned 6,500 panels have been installed and are currently supplying energy. The $6.5 million installation project is being carried out by Premier Solar Solutions, a veteran-owned New York based solar installation company.
Construction was briefly delayed in spring 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic but was resumed when solar energy installation was declared essential by New York State.
Installation of the solar panels on Zara’s 45 buildings will be designed to maximize efficiency by using standard panels affixed to racking systems and panels that lift and tilt above the roofline to ensure every available surface is used.
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This is great news and more landlords should think of this. Not only saving money on the “house” meter, it “greens up” the total apartment complex since all of the power produced will stay in the building going to the tenants through their meters.