The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

solar power

Here Comes the Sun: Solar Power in New Castle

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A first commercial solar installation on Greeley Avenue in Chap- paqua, which won Sunrise Solar an award from the Town of New Castle’s Sustainability Committee.
A first commercial solar installation on Greeley Avenue in Chappaqua, which won Sunrise Solar an award
from the Town of New Castle’s Sustainability Committee.

By Eileen Gallagher

Looking to lower your electric bills? Longing to go green? Interested in protecting the environment? Curious about the Solarize signage that was appearing throughout town? Going solar might be the perfect fit for you!

Why did we see all those”Solarize” signs around town?

New Castle Sustainability Advisory Board chairperson Steve Wolk and Alicia Molloy (the initiative manager) described how Solarize came about in town:

New Castle and other towns were looking into Solarize Westchester, a program started by NY Sun (a NYS government program). Per their website, http://ny-sun.ny.gov/About/NY-Sun-FAQ, this program “is part of the Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s commitment to “protect the environment and lower energy costs for all New Yorkers by improving the efficiency and reliability of the electric grid.”

Wolk described how the program can help towns to adopt a high amount of solar on residential homes and small commercial buildings by using the program to reduce risk and reduce the cost of solar.

New Castle was able to link with Somers because, as Wolk explained, the towns needed to be contiguous, and their colleagues were “great partners and people they could collaborate with and potentially share marketing materials and ideas.” The feeling was that there would be a higher probability of getting to be one of the “chosen towns” by working with Somers.

New Castle and Somers filled out an application in which they described what they would do as part of this initiative, and were selected for the program.

Why go solar now?

Molloy explained that there has really never been a better time to convert to solar in terms of pricing and incentives. “Energy costs are always going to keep going up.” Costs aside, she stressed the need for a greener future, leading the way to “get off of fossil fuels and think in renewable energy.”

Can solar panels really power a home?

If your house has a proper amount of sunlight, as a solar installer will assess, you could potentially power your entire home using solar energy.

Any power generated and unused by your home goes back into the grid, and you are credited for that portion.

Is your home a good fit for solar?

The ideal candidates for solar installation would be homes facing south, south-east or south-west, with little to no shade, and a clear roof of less than 15 years with no obstructions.  If the roof is shaded, trees might need to be trimmed. Ground-mounting is possible, but cost would be higher due to the need for a structure to place the panels on. Westchester and particularly New Castle is challenged by the large amount of trees.

Which provider to use?

Residents are always free to choose their own solar provider. For example, Sunrise Solar Solutions of Briarcliff Manor is a company whose CEO is a resident of Chappaqua. Rand Manasse, along with Sunrise Solar’s president, Doug Hertz, described their attractive solar installations as setting them apart from other installers. As a seven year subsidiary of Sunrise Building and Remodeling, they recognize the importance and value placed on the quality as well as appearance of the equipment on one’s home.

How long will it take to recover expenses?

According to Manasse, the average return on investment is five to six years for purchased systems and Day One for financed systems. And this is for a system that has a warrantied life of 25 years and will most likely produce energy for well over 30.

The savings on a solar system for the typical home in Westchester is $60,000  over the life of the system.

Selling your home in the near future?

Purchasing equipment rather than leasing might be a better fit for you. Per Hertz, “In a recent study by the Department of Energy it was shown that for every dollar invested in a solar system you add 3 dollars to the value of your home at resale.  Reporting from the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg have shown issues with selling homes with leased systems. Not only does ownership create more value, but it removes the legal impediments to a sale that a lease entails.”

Peter Martin and Kendal Sandlin in New Castle
Peter Martin and Kendal Sandlin in New Castle

Tips from Sunrise Solar Solutions

  • Shop local. Not every Solarize partner is equally invested in the community. Once the campaign is over, a national firm with spread out interests may be far less responsive than a reputable local installer with longstanding ties to the community.
  • Look for long-term value, not bargains. The saying goes, it’s penny-wise and pound-foolish. When making a significant investment in your home, pricing is important, but it’s just one of many factors to consider. Invest in a system that can offer you significant savings for many years to come, not just today. It’s very important to note that a higher quality installation can actually save you more money in the long-term.

For more information, solarizewestchester.com/solarize-somers-new-castle/ and sunrisesolarllc.com

Green Initiatives: Plastic Bag Ban & Solar Permit Reform Considered

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RecycleBinSaplingThis new year heralds a series of environmental initiatives under consideration by New Castle town officials.

Several ideas are being generated by a key environmental group in town–the Sustainability Advisory Board. This all volunteer group is comprised of several New Castle residents. Its chair, Steven Wolk, explained that they try to find ways to help New Castle become more sustainable. These include proposals to:

• Ban most plastic bags in stores.

Communities that already have bag bans, according to Wolk, include San Francisco and Rye. The underlying reasons for doing so include the impact single-use bags on the environment, such as sewer clogging and pollution of water bodies. Wolk also explained that both the manufacture and transport of plastic bags takes an enormous amount of energy. The bag ban would allow for some exceptions, he added, such as  dry cleaning bags and bags that are used for fruits and vegetables. The goal is to implement the ban in a way that resonates positively for residents and businesses, Wolk explained. It is expected that the proposed ban will be presented to the town board before this summer.

 • Adopt what is called uniform solar permitting. 

This means that New Castle could have the same permitting type for solar installation that is used elsewhere. The benefit of uniform permitting, according to Wolk, include a reduction of the cost of installation, which in turn would lead to a reduction of the cost for solar in general.  The permitting proposal could be presented to the town board by this spring.

• Increase New Castle’s recycling rate.

Currently, about 24 percent of the waste in town is recycled, Wolk says. He believes that the figure could rise to 60 percent or more, a level that he feels could have a positive effect on the environment. A higher rate of recycling means saving tens of thousands of dollars, according to an estimate the board cites. By recycling, Wolk believes, people can have a social impact.

• Begin an educational initiative for community residents. 

The goal would be to drive home the importance of being sustainable and how to become more sustainable. Several ideas are being considered, including screening videos at the Chappaqua Library for the public and holding discussions right after.

During his interview for this story, Wolk brought up three pillars of sustainability. These include promoting social interests, trying to become more environmentally conscientious, and ensuring a bright economic future.

Within the board, members act as managers for the initiatives, according to Wolk. He holds the role for the solar permitting proposal, while Nicole Lewinter has it for the plastic bag ban. Board member Dick Goldsmith is the manager for the recycling initiative while the educational initiative is being led by Maxine Margo. The board could use volunteers, Wolk explained, and it is “absolutely recruiting.”

In an interview, Supervisor Robert Greenstein described environmental ideas that he is interested in. One initiative would be to have pails located downtown that have the option for recycling. These containers could include merchant sponsorship, which would be noted with plaques. The supervisor would also like for them to be classy and is interested in getting the beautification committee involved.

Aside from desired initiatives, changes are already set for 2014. New Castle’s website lists several enhanced recycling items that have been added for this year. They include waxed coated containers (such as for ice cream, butter, juice, milk and frozen foods), plastic bags with the numbers one to seven, and aseptic box containers that have broth, soup or juice. Residents can also take advantage of New Castle’s recycling center. It is located at 210 Hunts Lane in Chappaqua and is open between Wednesday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and again from noon to 2:30 p.m.

Tom Auchterlonie is the former local editor of the Chappaqua-Mount Kisco Patch.