Features

New York is known for its grand ambitions, and those apply to its approach to climate change as well. Compliance of Local Law 97, which aims to reduce carbon emissions by buildings, is set to begin in January 2024. However, the Adams administration isn’t waiting that long: The Department of City Planning has released details on City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality, an initiative that seeks to improve zoning codes as a way of helping New York meet a highly ambitious goal of reducing carbon emissions 80% by 2050. Proposed changes include expanding access to electric vehicle charging in the wake of their growing popularity; changing current rules so that thick, high-performing walls don’t count against allowable floor area ratio; and removing zoning obstacles that restrict the amount of rooftop space that can be covered by solar panels.
Public information sessions will take place on March 20 and 28, and the initiative is set to enter public review on April 24, the Monday after Earth Day. However, city officials, borough presidents, and the League of Conservation Voters have already spoken in favor of it. In the meantime, certain buildings are ahead of the game, having already installed solar panels. Residents have noticed a difference in their electric bills, and building management has warmed to it in the wake of tax abatements.
900 West 190th Street
1 availability for $1,375,000
1 availability for $1,375,000

Cabrini Terrace was the first building in New York City to install solar panels, having made the change in 2007. It was operating without a map at the time, but now other buildings look to it as a solar energy success story.
871 Riverside Drive
2 availabilities from $1,150,000
2 availabilities from $1,150,000

Inspired by Cabrini Terrace’s success (see above), prewar cooperative The River Arts installed its own solar panels in 2009. They also went one step further and added composting bins that make it easier for residents to go green.
20 River Terrace
18 availabilities from $730,000
18 availabilities from $730,000

Over a year ago, The Solaire was converted from a rental to a sales building with upgrades to the interiors and amenities. However, the team wisely left the photovoltaic panels, rainwater irrigation system, and other environmentally friendly features alone in recognition of their importance to the building’s sustainable brand. Residents clearly appreciate that - it is one of New York's best-selling buildings.
70 Little West Street
5 availabilities from $1,895,000
5 availabilities from $1,895,000

A short distance from The Solaire (see above), The Visionaire’s facade by Pelli Clarke Pelli sets it apart in its Battery Park City neighborhood. However, it is more than meets the eye: Integrated solar paneling harvests a portion of the building’s electric load.
635 West 42nd Street
6 availabilities from $950,000
6 availabilities from $950,000

In recent years, Atelier has generated headlines for its extensive array of amenities and jaw-dropping incentives. It is further distinguished by the rooftop solar grid, which produces an estimated 26,000 kilowatt hours per year and reduces the building’s carbon footprint by over 125,000 pounds annually.

The prewar building at 225 Eighth Avenue is located in the heart of the Park Slope Historic District, which keeps the area looking similar to the way it did 100 years ago. However, the board of this co-op recently installed solar panels on the roof to keep up with the times and reduce electrical costs.

Over the past few years, prices in Prospect Heights have steadily climbed (CityRealty data puts the current condo average at $1,336 per square foot, or just less than double what it was 10 years ago. However, solar panels on the roof of 408 Saint Johns Place help residents save both energy and money.

With 9,671 solar panels distributed over 22 acres of rooftops, Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village is home to the largest residential solar project in the United States. A project announcement called it “the equivalent to removing 11,972 cars from the road.”
669 Saint Marks Avenue
2 availabilities from $1,325,000
2 availabilities from $1,325,000

Many of these buildings are older properties that have installed their rooftop solar panels in recent years. However, they were a part of Lexe’s construction from the start. This, along with the building’s airtight seal and triple-pane windows, was instrumental in the building’s Passive House certification.

126 West 132nd Street is congruent with its neighbors in terms of height and materials, but the townhouse is in fact just over 20 years old. This comes through in the home’s infrastructure, which includes Nest thermostats, skylights with rain sensors, and solar panels that, according to the listing, “chop the electric bill in half.”
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