Smart DG Hub
NYC Resilient Solar Roadmap
The Smart DG Hub NYC Resilient Solar Roadmap introduces a series of strategies for addressing the key barriers to solar+storage in an urban environment in the categories of hardware, software, economics and policy in an effort to increase the deployment of resilient solar installations, which can operate during power outages and provide critical and grid support services to New York City.
Roadmap Tracker
Check the progress of the numerous recommendations outlined in the NYC Resilient Solar Roadmap by category.
The essential hardware components of a typical resilient solar system include:
A solar PV array
An inverter
A battery or energy storage system
Hardware costs, particularly battery costs, remain the largest barrier to the deployment of resilient solar. Excluding solar PV, both in the residential and commercial sectors, the battery, module, and battery management system typically make up over one-third of the overall installed cost of energy storage systems. According to Smart DG Hub surveying, installed lithium-ion battery prices average $528/kWh, while lead-acid batteries remain the cheapest technology type with an average price of $190/kWh.
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Continued Market GrowthWinter 2019 Update: The U.S. energy storage market experienced a 60% growth year over year in megawatts, a 200% growth in MWh, in part due to an uptake in residential storage. ~ 2018 Update: Energy storage market doubled in size again in 2017, growth is on track to surpase projections for 2020. ~ The U.S. energy storage market grew 243% in 2015 and 1.7 GW of installed capacity is projected for 2020. Over the next five years, lithium-ion prices are expected to drop by 47% and lead acid by 24%. As the energy storage market similarly matures and the economies scale, hardware prices will decrease. |
Near TermNYSERDA Manufacturers NY-BEST Host Sites Smart DG Hub |
Ongoing |
Technology Innovation: New chemistries, materials, and improved design and manufacturing processes can lower hardware costs across most battery types.Winter 2019: Improvements in battery energy density drove a 15% decline in pricing in 2017 and another 5% drop in 2018. Shortage of battery cells contributed to the slower decline in 2018.
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Medium TermManufacturers NY-BEST Academic Institutions R&D Laboratories Smart DG Hub
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Ongoing |
Currently, there is limited standardization in the design of resilient solar systems, requiring the custom design of each system. The variance of design among resilient solar systems, as well as unique facility characteristics, can add to a system’s cost. Additionally, the incorporation of other forms of distributed generation (DG), like wind, CHP, or diesel generators can increase system complexity.
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Plug-and-Play Equipment: Developing easily integrated resilient solar PV equipment makes the design, engineering, and installation of solar+storage easier and faster. Increased utilization and deployment of smart inverters, chargers, and other plug and play equipment will decrease labor costs associated with each phase of procurement.Winter 2019 Update: In the Fall of 2018 the Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium (GMLC) created the Plug & Play Distributed Energy Resource (DER) Challenge for teams to demonstrate 'visionary interoperability capabilities' for DER integration with the utility grid. |
Near TermManufacturers Industry Associations National Laboratories Smart DG Hub |
Ongoing |
Standardized Request for Proposals (RFP) Template: Host-sites can also encourage industry standardization in proposal development by providing clear guidance in RFPs. The Smart DG Hub has supported initial efforts at the residential level with guidance for communities undergoing group procurements.Update: The Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) has multiple guidance documents for municipalities interested in energy storage. |
Near TermNYSERDA Engineers Installers Host Sites Smart DG Hub |
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Follow ‘Storage Ready’ Guidelines : Host-sites can also encourage industry standardization in proposal development by providing clear guidance in RFPs. The Smart DG Hub has supported initial efforts at the residential level with guidance for communities undergoing group procurements.Winter 2019 Update: NREL has provided an updated Microgrid-Ready Solar PV guidance document
2018 Update: Additional guidance has also been developed by NREL and CUNY's Smart DG Hub.
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Medium TermHousing and Commercial Developers Policymakers Municipal Officials Smart DG Hub |
Many installers are well versed in stand-alone systems for both solar and battery storage. Expertise is needed, however, for the installation and maintenance of solar+storage systems. As of 2016, two-thirds of solar installers do not offer storage. The results of the Smart DG Hub’s market research survey for New York also suggested limited overlap between solar installers and storage installers. The need for training on system integration will increase with rising market demand.
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Attend, host, and create additional trainings and certifications: To counteract any knowledge gaps, installers, engineers, architects, and municipal officials should attend available solar+storage and battery storage trainings.Winter 2019 Update: NYSERDA's NY Energy Storage Roadmap includes provisions for workforce development, beginning with developing an assessment of needs (Spring 2019) and a blueprint for addressing needs (Fall 2019), which will likely lead to additional trainings and programs. |
Near TermInstallers Industry Associations Municipal Officials Engineers Architects NYSERDA NABCEP PV Trainers Network Smart DG Hub |
Ongoing |
Release installation best practices: Online resources concerning the relevant federal, state, and local safety and fire codes and standards should be made available to installers and residents.Winter 2019 Update: The Smart DG Hub has published the 'Energy Storage Permitting and Interconnection Process Guide for New York City: Lithium-Ion Outdoor Systems Guide' as well as other resources. |
Near TermManufacturers NYC DOB Industry Associations Municipal Officials PV Trainers Network Smart DG Hub |
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Release step-by-step installation guides and maintenance requirements: To reduce the potential for errors, manufacturers and project developers should release installation guides for installers and host sites.Winter 2019: Permitting agencies are requiring additional clarity, for example an O&M plan as well as an installation guide is now required in NYC as part of the overall permit application. Guides should clarify the safety risks, hazards, and maintenance requirements for all parties. For example, Stem, a developer, published a step-by-step installation guide for one of their battery products that covers installation, operation, maintenance, and some safety considerations. |
Near TermManufacturers Industry Associations Smart DG Hub |
Codes, Standards, and Regulations (CSR) differ widely depending on battery chemistry type, and may even be non-existent. Third-party testing on select battery chemistries and fully integrated resilient solar PV systems has been limited. Satisfactory CSR is in place for traditional PV systems, but battery technologies are evolving faster than the standards that guide them. In some cases, older standards intended for other technologies and use cases may be inappropriately applied to new technologies.
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Develop applicable codes, standards, and regulations: Performance-based standards that can be applied across technologies types and applications, rather than specific prescriptive standards could also assist with the continued emergence of new chemistries and technologies.Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is currently developing such standards and recently released 9540, a standard for energy storage systems and equipment. Additionally, the Smart DG Hub is working with permitting authorities to streamline the implementation of UL 9540A, a testing methodology for battery storage systems. Reducing Distributed Energy Storage Soft Costs |
Medium TermMESA Manufacturers Industry Associations International & Domestic CSR Agencies Smart DG Hub |
Batteries can contain chemical components which are toxic and pose health risks. When batteries need to be replaced, they must be properly disposed of. Different technologies and chemistries have varied disposal and recycling techniques and requirements. Currently New York State requires manufacturers to collect and recycle rechargeable batteries at no cost to the customer, but it does not cover batteries over 25 lbs., principal power sources for vehicles or stationary storage paired with renewables. The recycling of some types of batteries, such as lithium-ion is not yet economical. However, as the market scales, recycling opportunities for certain chemistries should be re-evaluated and the safest disposal practices should be followed in the interim. Second life batteries present an opportunity for continued use of battery storage systems that can no longer effectively propel an electric vehicle, but still have useful life for electricity applications. Yet, using these batteries may create liabilities for automotive companies, void warranties, and be unfit for use depending on their capacity and duration.
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Timeline / Implementation Partners |
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Expand the NYS Rechargeable Battery Recycling Act: Include a wider variety of battery technologies, sizes, and applications.Winter 2019 Update: The Smart DG Hub 'Energy Storage Permitting and Interconnection Process Guide for New York City: Lithium-Ion Outdoor Systems Guide' outlines the requirement of a recycling/decommissioning plan as part of the permitting package. In addition, there is now a proposed 5000 ton/year battery recycling facility for NYS. |
Medium TermDepartment of Environmental Conservation Smart DG Hub |
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Require visual distinctions for lead acid and lithium chemistriesWinter 2019 Update: Documents have been created to help recyclers distinguish between battery types - https://www.sae.org/standards/content/j3071_201604/ When lithium-ion batteries are recycled alongside lead acid in secondary lead smelters, fires and explosions have occurred. Visually distinguishing the technologies will limit incorrect disposal and recycling and decrease fire and safety hazards.
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Near TermManufacturers Retailers Waste Facilities NFPA Smart DG Hub |
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Testing and reporting standards for second life batteries: Clarity on safety, capacity, and power will create new use cases for old batteries, grow the market, and decrease the amount of battery waste.The Underwriters Laboratory has released UL 1974, a standard for evaluation for repurposing batteries. |
Medium TermNYSERDA NY-BEST Smart DG Hub |
Software is an essential component for the effective design, management and utilization of resilient solar systems, allowing resilient solar to function as part of a larger smart grid infrastructure. At present, sophisticated software exists to support solar+storage in the following ways:
Solar+storage systems have many different components, devices, and points of interconnection that must work in a synchronous manner in order to realize all of the benefits. The design and installation of solar PV is relatively standardized, yet battery storage and inverter functionality remains less systematic. Variation in design, size, and a facility’s needs require resilient solar to have different controls and software layers dependent on its usage.
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Finalize and Incorporate Industry Standards: Currently, no standardized open protocols exist.Winter 2019 Update: Ongoing development of additional standards include IEEE Standard 1547- A Standard for Interconnection and Interoperability of Distributed Energy Resources with Associated Electric Power Systems Interfaces, and 2030.7-2017 - IEEE Standard for the Specification of Microgrid Controllers.
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Near TermSunSpec Alliance MESA NREL Smart Inverter Working Group (SIWG) Industry Associations Smart DG Hub |
Integrating multiple devices from a variety of manufacturers with utility controls and data acquisition may create cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Solar+storage systems typically use cloud-based control software that is often unencrypted. Additionally, utility programs like demand response that require communication between energy providers and end-use sites can be vulnerable to security threats. At present, these concerns are not a priority issue for consumers, but as resilient solar applications grow there may be more entry points in need of added data security.
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Support Continued Development of Existing and Future Guidelines:Following existing guidelines and disseminating future guidelines to solar+storage stakeholders will mitigate future cybersecurity risks. To better protect grid-connected resources, stakeholders should familiarize themselves with evolving standards like the National Institute of Standards and Technology’.Winter 2019 Update: Resources now include NIST v. 1.1 (Published April 2018) with some updates to NIST v. 1.0
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Near TermSGIP CIP V5 Transition Program (NERC) NIST Utilities NY-ISO Smart DG Hub |
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Support quality assurance guidelines and measures: Monitoring and disseminating data security standards to solar+storage stakeholders will strengthen cybersecurity across all systems.At present, NREL, HOMER Energy, and IEC are working on microgrid standardizations that can also be scaled to apply to solar+storage. |
Medium TermSandia NREL HOMER Energy IEC Smart DG Hub |
Due to policy and regulatory limitations, behind-the-meter storage can typically not participate in ancillary service markets. To get around this limitation, developers could aggregate multiple systems and use software to control the collective group of systems in order to meet minimum size thresholds.
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Timeline / Implementation Partners |
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Reform Market Structures: Use lessons learned from “Virtual Power Plant” pilot programs that are testing the aggregation and participation of solar+storage resources by utilities.Winter 2019 Update: Additional demonstration projects are slotted for development in NY, with testing expected to begin in the first half of 2019 ~ 2018 Update: Virtual Power Plant installations have been completed in Vermont and other States.
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Medium TermUtilities NYSERDA NY PSC NY-ISO Smart DG Hub |
Granular interval meter data is necessary to determine if buildings have the appropriate load profile for energy storage. Data like this is also needed to accurately design resilient solar systems that will maximize savings. However, buildings without a high peak demand (500 kW or more) are not required to have interval meters installed.
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Timeline / Implementation Partners |
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Increase Use of Smart Meters : Support the roll out of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), which is needed to capture granular energy data.Winter 2019 Update: Continued implementation of smart meters across the state include 230,000 by Orange and Rockland Utility and 1.8 million by 2022 in NYSEG and RG&E 2018 Update: Con Edison has committed to rolling out 5 million smart meters for Green Button-enabled customers by 2022. Deployments began in July for Staten Island and September for Westchester.
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Near TermNYSERDA Utilities Smart DG Hub |
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Enact Full Green Button Implementation for All Account Classes: Continued implementation of smart meters across the state including:2018 Update: New rate classes as of 9/1/17, see https://openei.org/apps/USURDB/?utilRateFinder=Consolidated%20Edison%20Co-NY%20Inc ~
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Near TermNYSERDA Utilities Local Governments Smart DG Hub |
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Increase accessibility of energy data: Encourage NYC to update the EC3 tool to provide interval data in a simple, user-friendly format. Other municipalities facing the same challenges should take similar actions in order to ensure easy data collection for critical infrastructure facilities that are municipally managed. |
Medium TermDCAS Smart DG Hub |
Resilient solar systems can deliver electricity and utility bill savings outside of critical periods, unlike traditional backup generation. However, the initial capital costs for solar+storage systems remain high in contrast to traditional backup generation. At present, these costs can be recouped through two primary avenues:
Revenue generation
Incentives
Project costs for new solar+storage projects or retrofits remain out of reach for many host-sites. These costs are partially driven by high balance of system costs (BOS) (see Introduction and Policy sections.) In spite of these limitations, solar+storage systems can provide demand savings and emergency backup for commercial facilities that may allow the building to recoup project costs. Many facility managers may not be familiar with the different opportunities available for their buildings to save on energy costs using solar+storage, or opportunities to finance these systems.
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Timeline / Implementation Partners |
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Facilities Manager Education and Outreach : Buildings with appropriate load profiles can see impactful utility bill savings with the installation of solar+storage systems. This could result in improved payback periods compared to state or national averages. The NY Solar Map can be used to identify and target feasible host sites for educational efforts.2019 Winter Update: Trainings and outreach are beginning to be offered via the NYSERDA Storage Soft Cost initiatives, however these trainings have been target at industry. The International Facilities Managers Association (IFMA) has also begun to hosts trainings and recently published an article highlighting storage. ~ 2018 Update: Under the NYSERDA Soft Costs program, analytical work is proceeding to identify ideal customer types. Work is also proceeding on customer outreach strategies for energy storage. Customer outreach and engagement through this program is expected to continue until 2019.
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Near TermSmart DG Hub PV Trainers Network NYSERDA Energy industry Commercial Real Estate Associations and Partners (e.g. BOMA, REBNY) New York Prize NY-BEST Journalists |
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Financial Support for Public Facilities : Public and non-profit facilities cannot directly take advantage of available tax incentives for solar+storage. These incentives contribute to lowering project costs. Public facilities can be financially constrained, but may provide the most societal benefit by hosting a resilient solar system. Targeted grant, bond or loan programs at the state or local level could assist in financing resilient solar projects.2021 Update: NYS announced the signing of power purchase agreements (PPAs) that will advance plans to place solar arrays on 47 public schools and several water treatment facilities in New York City that include up to 6.6 MW of energy storage and pave the way to a construction start in early 2022. The joint project between the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) will generate more than 25 megawatts (MW) of power from rooftop solar arrays and include up to 6.6 MW of energy storage. |
Medium TermNew York Power Authority New York City Economic Development Corporation City of New York Comptroller’s Office NYSERDA FEMA Foundations Smart DG Hub |
At present, incentives and tariffs in New York could be further aligned to value the benefits provided by resilient solar. The REV process is working to develop new tariffs designed for distributed generation in New York State which may incentivize solar and battery storage deployment. Nationally, energy storage is eligible for the federal 30% tax credit only when installed simultaneously with solar. Although not energy storage focused, two programs, Con Edison’s Demand Management Program and Brooklyn-Queens Demand Management Program (BQDM), were designed to meet load specific locational load reductions and in turn generated strong interest in battery storage projects. Further incentives and policies should support locational pricing while preserving a battery’s flexibility to provide multiple services to the host site and grid.
Solutions |
Timeline / Implementation Partners |
Progress |
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Leveraging the Virtual Power Plant Project to Support Aggregation Opportunities: Currently residential accounts are not subject to demand charges and therefore are unable to access one of the key savings streams provided by storage.Winter 2019 Update: Three NYISO pilot projects have been announced and slotted to begin demonstration in the first half of 2019. These projects plan to incorporate Front of the Meter (FTM) batteries, FTM batteries co-located with solar, and high-rise buildings with curtailable load to evaluate the ability of aggregated DERs to provide grid services. Findings and best practices from these projects open the pathway for additional compensation for small resilient solar projects to access new revenue streams.
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Near TermSunPower Sunverge Con Edison NYSERDA Smart DG Hub |
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Tracking LMP+D Tariff Development: Tariffs in development for distributed generation are focused on compensation based on the value of the location of the system as well as its delivered electricity services.Winter 2019 Update: LMP+D is being addressed through New York's Value of Distributed Energy Resources (VDER) tariff. NYSERDA maintains a dedicated page providing up-to-date VDER information including a tariff calculator: https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All%20Programs/Programs/NY%20Sun/Contractors/Value%20of%20Distributed%20Energy%20Resources 2018 Update: The Smart DG Hub conducted a VDER webinar in the Spring of 2017
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Near TermSmart DG Hub NYSERDA NY-BEST PSC |
The NY-SUN Megawatt block program for solar has provided transparency and visibility into future incentives for solar. Similarly, the federal investment tax credit established step-down periods for commercial and residential systems after it was renewed last year. This visibility and stability make it easier for developers to plan for system installations and secure low-cost finance. In contrast, no consistent storage-centric incentives are currently in place in New York. A clear, statewide programmatic storage incentive program can help the market grow and reduce costs. The rapid growth of solar in New York State and nationwide was supported by incentive programs, which have assisted in lowering costs year over year.
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Timeline / Implementation Partners |
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Review of existing storage incentives: Incentive programs have been in rapid development and several have launched since the 2017 publication of the NYC Energy Storage Roadmap.Winter 2019 Update: NYSERDA currently provides $350/kWh of energy storage capacity as an incentive for qualifying solar+storage projects. In October 2018 NYSERDA announced a new $40 million energy storage incentive for non-residential and C&I solar+storage projects. Additionally, the NY Green Bank has committed at least $200 million for energy storage-related investments.
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Near TermSmart DG Hub NYSERDA NY-BEST Clean Energy Group |
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Outreach Regarding Storage and Existing Programs: As incentive programs are developed and launched, stakeholders should provide timely outreach to target audiences.Winter 2019 Update: NYSERDA released the New York State Energy Storage Roadmap and included a series of outreach webinars in Summer 2018. Other efforts are currently underway via NYSERDA's Energy Storage Soft Costs Reduction Initiative aimed at customer outreach. 2018 update:The NYSERDA Storage Soft Costs program has launched customer and industry outreach about current storage opportunities in the state. Energy Storage Opportunities with NY Utilities
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Near TermEnergize NY Smart DG Hub NY-BEST NYSEIA The Solar Foundation (CivicPACE for non-profits and public facilities) |
Solar+storage projects are currently unable to access debt finance, which can offer a lower cost of capital to projects. In contrast, the solar industry has developed many solar-specific loan products, such as offerings by Admirals Bank and Dividend Solar, which have increased the affordability of projects.
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Timeline / Implementation Partners |
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Lender Education and Outreach: Lender education and outreach regarding solar+storage can help lenders become more comfortable with developing consumer debt products since storage can provide deeper energy savings than standalone PV projects and reduce the risk of operational downtime.Winter 2019 Update: Lending entities are beginning to recognize the viability of lending for energy storage. A 2018 report by Moody's Investors Service indicates storage as an "increasingly viable finance opportunity" and the NY Green Bank issued RFI 4 to "increase dialogue regarding specific ways in which NY Green Bank can be helpful in financing energy storage projects in NYS".
2018 Update: The Smart DG Hub has formed a “Value of Resiliency” (VoR) Strategy Team to engage subject matter experts in three key stakeholder communities to develop actionable industry and policy guidelines to recognize the value of resiliency offered by S+S system installation. In 2017 Sustainable CUNY’s Smart DG Hub conducted in-depth interviews with experts in the fields of insurance, banking and public policy with a view towards developing a VoR Scope of Work that is fully informed by the industries capable of creating a tangible price signal for energy resiliency. Key recommendations are summarized below and provided in each section, followed by the survey and responses. VOR Survey Results
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Near TermSmart DG Hub NYSERDA New York Green Bank Industry associations |
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Collection and Distribution of Performance Data: Solar+storage is an emerging energy management solution. While there is limited available data on project performance over time, concerted efforts are underway to collect project data and share it with key lenders to assist in moving debt finance towards solar+storage.Winter 2019 Update: NYSERDA providing independently verified field data from NYSERDA-supported projects. NYPA will also capture and share data from its storage projects per the NY Storage Roadmap.
2018 Update: As part of the NYSERDA Soft Costs initiative, performance data will begin to be collected from energy storage systems. Standard measurement systems will also be developed. These protocols could eventually support metrics for lenders.
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Medium TermSmart DG Hub Orange Button Initiative SunSpec Alliance The National Renewable Energy Laboratory |
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Project Aggregation Opportunities: Best practices in standardized contracts and project classes from the solar PV industry could be used to aggregate projects and access additional finance. These standardized contracts could also assist local lenders in supporting projects more readily. The New York Green Bank, for example, tends to invest in projects between $5-50 million in value, which would require a portfolio of solar+storage projects.Winter 2019 Update: NYSEG has proposed an planned a three year storage aggregation demonstration in Ithaca, NY as part of the REV inititiative. The proposed project intends to enroll up to eight customers with a capacity of 1.060 MW and 4.2 MWh.
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Long TermIndustry partners New York Green Bank Smart DG Hub |
Resilient solar is unique in comparison to traditional emergency generators as it can provide value to host-facilities outside of critical periods. However, there are currently no methods of compensating the resiliency services provided by resilient solar systems to the host-site or the grid. This exclusion lowers the perceived value of resilient solar systems.
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Timeline / Implementation Partners |
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Cost-Benefit Analysis; Conduct and distribute a cost-benefit analysis of resilient solar systems compared to traditional diesel generator backups.Winter 2019 Update: NREL has conducted additional research on this, summarized in their "Valuing the Resilience Provided by Solar and Battery Energy Storage Systems" factsheet. 2018 Update: New tools such as Geli's ESyst tool and NREL's ReOpt website can provide comparisons between different technologies.
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Near TermSmart DG Hub NY-BEST |
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Determine if Resilient Solar PV is a Code-compliant Option for Emergency Power: Regulations dictate the types of equipment, such as diesel or natural gas generators, that may be used to legally supply emergency power. These codes should be reviewed to determine if resilient solar meets requirements for NYC, and if not, revisions should be considered.Current code permits battery storage for lighting backup power, other cases by special request.
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Near TermNYC Mayor’s Office (MOS and ORR) FDNY NYC DOB NYC Emergency Management Dept. NFPA DER Industry City of San Francisco SMP Team Smart DG Hub |
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Quantification of Value: There have been ongoing efforts to quantify the value of resilient power through the Smart DG Hub and the New York Prize program for microgrids.Winter 2019 Update: CUNY, in partnership with NREL, has created a methodology for quantifying resiliency in the March 2018 journal article "Quantifying and Monetizing Renewable Energy Resiliency". Aspects of resiliency are included in NREL's ReOpt tool. |
Near TermNY Prize Smart DG Hub City of San Francisco SMP Team FEMA NYSERDA DER Industry Insurance Industry |
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Enable Revenue Streams through Insurance:Resilient solar can reduce damages and claims to property insurance from host sites. Insurers must consistently recognize resiliency investments on infrastructure through reductions in premiums to incentivize the installation of preventative measuresWinter 2019 Update: Discussion in 2018 Sustainability Journal paper. CUNY can leverage research from the 2018 Sustainability paper in industry outreach and engagement. 2018 Update: The Smart DG Hub has formed a “Value of Resiliency” (VoR) Strategy Team to engage subject matter experts in three key stakeholder communities to develop actionable industry and policy guidelines to recognize the value of resiliency offered by S+S system installation: Insurance; Banking; Government policy. In the Spring and Summer of 2017 Sustainable CUNY’s Smart DG Hub conducted in-depth interviews with experts in the fields of insurance, banking and public policy with a view towards developing a VoR Scope of Work that is fully informed by the industries capable of creating a tangible price signal for energy resiliency. Key recommendations are summarized below and provided in each section, followed by the survey and responses. VOR Survey Results The DG Hub is forming Working Groups to move forward on the key recommendation of the survey.
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Medium TermSmart DG Hub City of New York, Office of Recovery and Resiliency National Flood Insurance Program Insurance Industry UN ARISE |
New York State and New York City have articulated their commitment to the expansion of renewable energy resources and the importance of climate preparedness and disaster recovery. This prioritization is reflected directly in the 2015 New York State Energy Plan and standards approved by the New York Public Service commission, which focus on energy reliability and resilience as core components for the achievement of New York State’s aggressive target of 50% of electricity generation from renewables by 2030. New York City also has ambitious targets locally, including a commitment by Mayor de Blasio to supply 100% of municipal energy needs from renewable energy and an 80% greenhouse gas emission reduction target by 2050. New York City is also committed to installing 100 MWh of battery energy storage by 2020.
New York State must achieve 50% of electricity generation from renewable resources by 2030. Reliability and resilience are also core components of the 2015 State Energy Plan. In spite of this, there are no formal targets for storage at the state-level. The lack of targets increases the perception of risk to the market. New York City has taken an important step in setting a local target and committing to aligning its internal processes to support the development of the targeted 100 MWh of storage.
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Timeline / Implementation Partners |
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Policy Targets and a Comprehensive Study on Storage for the Grid: New York City took the lead in establishing a 100MWh target in 2016, with subsequent state-level targets announced more recently.Winter 2019 Update: New York State has released a state-level storage target of 1.5 GW of energy storage by 2025, to put New York on a path toward the 2030 goal of 3,000 MW.
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Near TermNYSERDA DPS NY-BEST NYC Mayor’s Office Smart DG Hub |
See Mayoral Media release with Storage Targets from September 23, 2016 |
Tracking Resilient Solar Deployment: The Smart DG Hub developed a layer on the NY Solar Map that shows the locations and system details of storage projects across NYC.Winter 2019 Update: NYSERDA's Energy Storage Soft Costs Initiative has developed an interactive state-wide DER map. 2018 Update: A new map layer has been integrated into the NY Solar Map to show where resilient PV systems are located, system capacity, and other project details. From the home page, use the drop down menu under “available map layers” on the left to choose “NYC Installed Energy Storage Systems.”The “NYC Installed Energy Storage Systems” layer on the NY Solar Map offers insight into the energy storage systems currently installed in NYC.
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Near TermSustainable CUNY Smart DG Hub NYSERDA Industry NYC DOB |
An Energy Storage System layer has been added to the NY Solar Map and Portal, education is ongoing |
As the solar+storage market grows and processes are established, so will the need for additional training. Educational opportunities for New York City stakeholders should be provided to learn about resilient solar and the benefits it can provide to host facilities. Currently end users can find information on resiliency on the NY Solar Map and Portal under Solar+Storage and consumers can connect with qualified, active solar installers.
Solutions |
Timeline / Implementation Partners |
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Expand Training Programs: The Smart DG Hub and other organizations began to address the knowledge gap around storage by developing educational fact sheets and reports. This work is currently being expanded via NYSERDA's Energy Storage Soft Costs Reduction Initiative.Winter 2019 Update: The Smart DG Hub developed educational fact sheets and reports, as well as various webinars by NYSERDA Energy Storage Soft Costs Reduction Initiative partners (CUNY, ERS, NY-BEST).
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Near TermNYSERDA Community DG Program – “Solarize” Smart DG Hub NY-BEST Clean Energy Group PV Trainers Network NYC Solar Partnership |
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Qualified Installer Listing: Consumers currently have access to a qualified installer listing for solar PV via NYSERDA. While no analogous list exists yet for resilient solar projects, there are listings of storage providers through the NY-BEST supply chain database. |
Near TermNYSERDA NY-BEST NYC Solar Partnership Smart DG Hub |
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Industry CommunicationsSolicitations for Requests for Information (RFIs) and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) from municipal agencies, the private-sector and state agencies may benefit strongly from integrated solar+storage responses. This may require expanded distribution lists for RFI and RFP communications, and increased use of RFP guidance for storage. |
Near TermSustainable CUNY Installer Roundtable NYSERDA NY-BEST NYSEIA Clean Energy Group NYC Solar Partnership Smart DG Hub |
At present, permitting for solar+storage projects can add significant time to project completion. According to market research conducted by the Smart DG Hub, soft costs, which include non-hardware costs such as permitting and interconnection averaged 27% of total installed costs for commercial systems. This is analogous to the 25% contribution of soft cost reported by Department of Energy-funded research for solar-only systems. Survey results also indicated that permitting was perceived as the top soft cost driver for New York State.
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Timeline / Implementation Partners |
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Permitting Checklist and Transparency for Approved Chemistries: The Smart DG Hub, FDNY, NYC Dept. of Buildings, Con Edison, and other key stakeholders developed a transparent permitting guide for energy storage systems in 2016, initially for permitting of valve-regulated lead-acid energy storage systems.2020 Update: CUNY working with partners released the Energy Storage Permitting and Interconnection Process Guide for New York City 2020.
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Near TermSmart DG Hub NY-BEST NYC DOB FDNY Con Edison NYSERDA NYC Solar Partnership |
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Streamline Permitting Processes: Processes for solar+storage should be investigated that expedite review periods, encourage consistency in permitting requirements across the state, and account for projected increases in permitting throughput.Winter 2019 Update: NYC Dept. of Buildings has released a bulletin that provides further consistency for energy storage permit applications 2018 Update: CUNY worked with multiple partners, including the Fire Department of New York, the NYC Department of Buildings, DNV-GL and Meister’s Consultants to map the permitting process for solar+storage using lead batteries. |
Medium TermNYC DOB FDNY Smart DG Hub NYSERDA NY-BEST New York State AHJs NYC Solar Partnership |
At present, solar+storage projects are allowed to interconnect and net meter. The New York Standardized Interconnection Process provides clear timelines for projects throughout the state. Con Edison collaborated with the Smart DG Hub to clearly outline its procedures in the Smart DG Hub Permitting Guide. However, there are opportunities to streamline processes for smaller scale systems, as has been the case for the fast-track interconnection process developed for solar PV. In the Smart DG Hub’s survey of solar+storage market participants, interconnection ranked second in terms of driving soft costs after permitting.
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Timeline / Implementation Partners |
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Development of fast-track interconnection processes: Con Edison has been developing a streamlined interconnection procedure for small-scale solar+storage projects, akin to residential PV, to help streamline and reduce the time involved in interconnection.Winter 2019 Update: The Standardized Interconnection Requirements, updated October 2018, provide a pathway for an expedited application process for systems 50 kW or less, or larger systems meeting outlined requirements.
2018 Update: The Department of Public Services and the interconnection working group are in ongoing discussion on how best to incorporate storage into the SIR.
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Medium TermConEdison Smart DG Hub SunPower-Sunverge Other state utilities |
New York City is actively working to identify and harden critical infrastructure against future storms and other disasters that could lead to grid outages. Opportunities to improve resiliency are identified in the City’s A Stronger, More Resilient New York as well as One New York: The Plan for a Strong and Just City. The use of solar+storage as a means to address the need for emergency power is not a specific focus within emergency planning agencies, but solar+storage could be incorporated into existing plans. Across the state, it is unclear if local codes allow for the use of resilient solar to satisfy emergency power requirements. At the federal level, resilient energy systems should also be more broadly accepted as a means of mitigating hazards for FEMA grants.
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Timeline / Implementation Partners |
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Integrated Preparedness Planning: Resilient solar can be an economically viable solution for a facility’s emergency management strategy; greater outreach and communication will be needed to introduce resilient solar as an alternative to traditional backup generation to be incorporated on a wider scale into public and private sector emergency response plans.2018 Update: CUNY’s Smart DG Hub built the Critical Facility Solar+ Evaluator, a new NY Solar Map layer and interactive mapping tool that is designed to display critical facilities in NYC where installing resilient PV (solar+storage) would be beneficial. The user can toggle on and off the various layers to identify the location of safety, health or food facilities; flood zones; grid-constrained areas; and under-served areas.
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Medium TermSmart DG Hub Industry New York City Emergency Management Dept. |
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Leverage Resilient Solar Tracking Layer of NY Solar Map: As more data regarding the location of resilient energy systems are available, City agencies can incorporate sites into emergency and evacuation planning for the City. It is possible that these systems could qualify for hazard mitigation grant funding from FEMA if cost-effective.CUNY has developed solar+storage case studies that will be linked on the critical layer map. |
Medium TermSmart DG Hub NYC Emergency Management Dept. DCAS |
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