NYC rooftops could host 11 GW of high-yield solar projects

[kristopher]

NYC rooftops could host 11 GW of high-yield solar projects
Derek Markham
August 24, 2015




Mapdwell's NYC solar map © Mapdwell
A map of solar energy potential for some 1 million buildings across five boroughs in NYC highlights the opportunities for clean energy in the Big Apple, and aims to make solar "exciting and simple."

[Update: Mapdwell has corrected its original press release to include the solar potential for all five boroughs, which is 11 GW, not 4.7 GW.]

Rooftops in New York City could be home to some 11 gigawatts of "high-yield" solar projects, according to Mapdwell, a Boston-based startup that identifies solar potential using an advanced solar mapping tool originally developed at MIT.

Homeowners and businesses in NYC can take advantage of the detailed data from Mapdwell's Solar System New York City project to take action toward the adoption of clean energy on their rooftops, as the solar mapping platform presents data on the solar potential of individual rooftops, along with a detailed cost/benefit analysis on the financial and environmental aspects of installing solar energy systems on those roofs.

Two years ago, Mapdwell made waves in the solar mapping field by creating an accurate map of the solar potential of all 17,000 rooftops in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and making the data accessible to anyone through its website, and the MIT spinoff has since expanded its offerings to other cities.

The company's high-resolution mapping platform essentially creates a 3D model of each community it covers, and uses the shape of the roof, the roof's orientation, the presence of any solar shading caused by trees or nearby structures, as well as historical weather data, to uncover what it describes as "highly accurate" data on solar potential. (Google is also getting into the solar mapping business with its Project Sunroof.)

Mapdwell's foray into New York City's solar landscape has revealed the potential for some 11 GW of rooftop solar capacity, which could generate more than 13 million MWh (megawatt-hours) of clean electricity per year, and power the equivalent of almost half a million homes....

http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/nyc-rooftops-could-host-47-gw-high-yield-solar-projects.html

[valerief]

1. Great photo, btw. nt

[Travis_0004]

2. I wonder how many roofs could actually be used

I would imagine in NYC where space is at a premium, a lot of roofs are used for gardens, recreation, or just hvac equipment and water tanks that would limit the space you could install solar panels. There is certainly room for some solar panels, but I imagine if you lived in NYC and had access to the roof it would be a nice place to relax, and people would not want a lot of the roof covered.

[TexasProgresive]

3. From the movies I thought New Yorkers partied on the roof. n/t

[TexasProgresive]

4. This brought a question to me

How are solar panels keep clear of snow and ice in northern climes? Also we have a lot of dust so that would decrease the efficiency of the solar panels.

[Travis_0004]

5. Light snow usually won't stick

Pannels are smooth, and usually angled to get the most sunlight, so under light snow it doesn't stick.

If you get heavy snow it will stick on the panels, and somebody has to shovel it off.

I would also imagine that if they were very low on the roof they would be covered, and you would have nowhere to put the snow. (throwing wet snow off a skyscrapper is not a good idea.)

There would be several times a winter where somebody would have to clean them off.

[Statistical]

6. One good (in this case) thing about solar panels is they are dark color and conduct heat well

So unless you have something like two feet of snow you only need to undercover part of them. That part will get warm which melts more, which means more exposed panel, which means more captured heat, etc. Pretty cool to watch.

[kristopher]

7. Solarwindow.com

I posted this the other day on Good Reads, but it fits well with the OP so ...

If you’re thinking about going solar, we’ve got good news: your options have just been expanded. SolarWindow Technologies announced that their new cells can produce 50 times the energy of panels commonly in use today. What that means is a faster return on the investment required for a solar set up. CEO John Conklin called it “the most innovative breakthrough in powering the half-billion square feet of windows installed on commercial buildings in the US, annually.”

Here’s how the windows supposedly work. Glass panels are first treated with a photovoltaic coating made up of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and a few secret ingredients that SolarWindow is keeping under wraps. The “active layer” absorbs light, while the transparent conductors make energy extraction possible. For transparency, the coatings are applied in liquid form at ambient pressures and dried at low temps. The result is clear solar paneling, and the coatings can be added to any conventional glass or plastic.

...They also plan on offering a 25-year warranty to match those offered by conventional solar panels.

...SolarWindows claim that they can use natural, shaded, or even artificial light to produce energy, unlike conventional solar, which means they’re good for use on all four sides of a building instead of just on the roof.

Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/solar-window-solar-panel

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Liquid electricity...

http://solarwindow.com

http://solarwindow.com/2015/02/new-energys-electricity-generating-solarwindow-trumps-competition-with-industrys-fastest-ever-payback/


2min40sec video presentation released on 8/20.
http://solarwindow.com/2015/08/solarwindow-electricity-from-glass/

I don't share "the latest" technologies often, but this one sounds more legitimate than most.

We'll see.