Sunrise Solar Solutions, Westchester’s largest solar installation and development firm, has proposed the development of a large solar energy system on 4 acres at the rear of Oakwood Cemetery in Mount Kisco.
Sunrise Solar Solutions President and CEO Doug Hertz is proposing a 3,600-panel “community solar farm,” in which a large-scale solar system is installed at one location and all the power generated is fed into the grid. Con Edison electricity customers within the same utility territory can subscribe and have the solar power credited to their accounts at a discount, bringing their bills down to nearly zero and saving about 10 percent.
“The system will generate roughly 1.7 gigawatt-hours each year, enough to power more than 200 homes,” said Hertz. “The project will also provide much needed revenue to Oakwood for its continued operation… This project, designated by the New York Public Service Commission as a community-distributed generation site, will generate clean, renewable energy to be fed into the grid, and the energy will then be sold at a discount to residents and businesses in Mt Kisco and northern Westchester.”
Another key aspect of the project is the creation of a “pollinator-friendly” habitat, according to Hertz. The site will use a native pollinator planting scheme around the field of panels, which will allow much deeper-rooted plantings than the mowed grass field that currently exists and will enhance the ability of the soil to absorb, filter and maintain water, he said. It also provides a habitat for birds, bees and other pollinator species – a critical component of maintaining a healthy local ecosystem.
“This project will create the equivalent CO2 effect of 1,490 acres of U.S. forest each year,” said Hertz. “This is even without computing the value of the pollinator plantings.”
He said Sunrise Solar Solutions has entered into a 25- to 30-year lease with the cemetery, which will use the land for its intended purpose once the lease ends.
“This project is a win-win in every way,” said Hertz. “It will enhance the environmental attributes of the site; provide clean renewable energy to area residents at a discount; provide a native pollinator habitat that will enhance nearby wetlands, provide greater water filtration and retention on site; create savings for area residents and businesses; promote the stated village goal of increasing local renewable energy; and support the ongoing activities of the cemetery.”
