Solar panels are coming to seven Queens schools, city says

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Seven public schools in Queens will feature rooftop solar panels by 2022. Photo courtesy of Con Ed

Seven public schools in Queens will feature rooftop solar panels by 2022. Photo courtesy of Con Ed

By Rachel Vick

Seven public schools in Queens will soon generate enough solar energy to power 330 homes for a year. 

Each of the schools will feature new rooftop solar panels, part of a city and state initiative to outfit 47 public schools across the five boroughs, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services and the New York Power Authority said Thursday.

“Our schools are not only tackling climate change in the classroom, but also on the rooftop,” said DCAS Commissioner Lisette Camilo.

DCAS has not yet identified the specific schools, but said that decision will be made by the end of the year. They will prioritize low-income communities with higher levels of pollution in order to promote environmental justice, a spokesperson said.

The city has contracted with the company ENGIE to install the solar panels by the end of 2022.

“Bringing solar energy to New York City facilities in diverse neighborhoods will help supply affordable, clean and reliable electricity throughout the five boroughs,” said NYPA President and CEO Gil Quiniones.

Together, the Queens rooftop panel alone will produce 1.3 MegaWatts of renewable energy power— enough to power 330 homes for a year.

Public schools currently account for almost a third of the city’s building emissions, and the rooftop panels will reduce 413 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions while providing an opportunity to incorporate climate education into the curriculum, DCAS, NYPA and the DOE said in a statement.

“The young people of today are the inheritors of our planet and it is our obligation to do everything in our power to leave them with a livable, vibrant world,” said DOE Chief School Operations Officer Kevin Moran.

The initiative, which also includes an installation on Wards Island and city-owned facilities upstate, is intended to help meet climate goals set by Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city council. The targets include reducing citywide emissions by 80 percent by 2050 and generating 100 megawatts of solar energy from publicly owned buildings by 2025.