By the Bronxville Green Committee

March 23, 2022: Living in Bronxville is great, and just got better! If you live in a single-family home, you can capture the sun’s energy to lower your costs and support the transition to a clean electrical grid.

Solar Energy System

A new solar ordinance passed on March 14th by Bronxville’s Trustees makes it more likely that roof-mounted or ground-mounted solar panels will work for you. The new ordinance allows solar panels to be placed anywhere on the roof of your home, as long as the design makes efforts to blend in and look uniform. The panels may also cover a significant portion of the rooftop. Certain siting and design restrictions apply. The Trustees’ intention was to create a flexible ordinance that achieves a balance between facilitating this technology while maintaining Bronxville’s aesthetic appeal.

The permitting process has also been streamlined. Unless adding solar panels is part of a larger project that requires Land Use Board approval, permit applications are made directly to the Design Review Committee and approved by the Planning Board.

Bronxville residents Pam Lippe and Guy Morris, who have had to wait to install the second half of their solar project, can now complete it. Pam says, “This forward-looking ordinance will allow us to put up enough panels to meet all our needs, including charging our electric cars. The ordinance brings Bronxville in line with the goals of New York State, our nation, and the world.”

Resident Jack Bierwirth is another fan of solar, which he installed on his property in New Hampshire.  "I love the months when I get a negative utility bill," he said.  "When I was superintendent in Herricks [Long Island] we put solar on the school roof.  The kids used to love watching the meter go backwards." 

For further details, you can find Bronxville Solar Ordinance HERE.

Benefits

*A solar energy system allows you to significantly reduce your electric bills—a big plus during this time of rising prices.

*You may be eligible for a federal tax credit if you install a roof-mounted or ground-mounted solar system on your property. In 2022 you can get credit for up to 26% of the cost of your new photovoltaic system. In 2023 that drops to 22%.

*New York State also offers tax credits of up to 25% of the cost of a new system you install on your property.

*You may be eligible for additional incentives, which are available through your contractor.

*You don’t necessarily need full sun to take advantage of solar; it can work with a partly shaded south-facing roof.

*Locally generated power (especially with battery backup) makes the electric grid more resilient.

*You’ll be supporting the transition to an electrical grid powered by clean energy and reducing Bronxville’s carbon footprint.

Please, never cut down trees to make your home ready for solar panels. Trees play so many vital roles for our health and safety, they should not be sacrificed even for solar energy!

Getting Started

*Read Con Edison’s comprehensive list of steps

*Study your ConEd bills to determine how much energy you must generate to meet your needs. Click here for tips.

*Find a contractor: NYSERDA lists contractors who service Westchester County which have met “quality” and “gold quality” standards. Be sure to get multiple bids before making a decision.

*Choose how to finance your project; there are many ways:

--Full-service solar developers: A solar company installs the system and offers financing.

--Solar financing lender: A solar company installs the system but a bank, credit union, utility, or other entity arranges with you to finance it.

--Third-party ownership: You enter into a “solar lease” or “power-purchase agreement (PPA)” with a company that installs, owns, and maintains the system. You incur no upfront costs and make pre-determined payments, but you’re not eligible for tax incentives. These are complex agreements that should be reviewed by an attorney who is an expert in solar energy.

--Find out more in New York State’s Homeowner’s Guide to Leases, Loans and Power Purchase Agreements

Adding a solar energy system to your private property is just one of the exciting opportunities available to Bronxville residents who want to save money while making the village more sustainable!

The Bronxville Green Committee is a volunteer organization that is part of the Village of Bronxville. We work to propose and implement environmentally sustainable programs in our community. Visit our website to learn more about our efforts.