NY Solar Policies
The Solar Foundation rated New York with a grade of “B” for their net metering policy and an “A” for interconnection policies. With a Value of Distributed Energy Resource tariff, New York’s net metering policy allows solar installations to realize compensation from solar power that is sent back to the grid.
With the announcement of the state’s Green New Deal, which was included in the state’s 2019 budget, New York will aim to be 100 percent carbon-free by 2040. The plan will include the utilization of wind and solar energy installations to meet this goal.
Growth of New York State Solar Energy
The New York Energy Research and Development Authority recently announced that the state has reached a solar capacity of 2 gigawatts. As one of the top ten states in the nation in terms of solar capacity, New York continues to grow in terms of residential, commercial, and utility installations. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Green New Deal calls for 70 percent of the state’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030, with a goal for solar to reach a capacity of 6 gigawatts by 2025.
Between residential, commercial, and utility installations, from 2014 to 2016, NY solar energy has doubled. Utility installations in New York have growth significantly in 2018 and 2019, with over 100 MW of solar panels installed over the last few years.
New York Solar Panel Recycling Needs
With an outstanding 1570 MW of solar capacity as of 2018 (The Solar Foundation), New York already had a significant stake in the solar industry.
Upstate, installations like the 2MW capacity field in Feura Bush for Owens Corning and 2.76 MW installation in Van Buren for Anheuser-Busch helping to offset energy usage for enterprise business. With the ever-increasing additional of PV systems throughout the state, the needs for proper disposal will only increase.
While private residents, businesses, and utilities soon meet goals of increasingly clean energy, it is likely that the state could also mandate standards for the responsible and sustainable disposal of solar panels and equipment. Without environmentally-sound practices, New York’s natural beauty could be harmed by the improper removal of PV equipment and materials such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium. These materials are common in solar panels and have been known to cause environmental and health issues.
Unless otherwise noted, all data from SEIA/GTM Research U.S. Solar Market Insight
Looking for New York solar panel recycling solutions? The We Recycle Solar team provides B2B service throughout the Northeast.