Three council members are pushing bills that would mandate that certain newly constructed buildings will be required to dedicate half their roof to greenery, solar panels or small wind turbines. The idea is by covering Manhattan rooftops with greenery you can combat climate change and reduce our carbon footprint.
Tag Archives: Solar
Solar Power now available for apartments
According to an article this week in the New York Times, now even apartment dwellers can elect to use solar power. No need to install solar panels on the roof of your Manhattan building. You can purchase your power from another location and potentially reduce your energy costs. The claim is between 10-15% and also it’s great for the environment and the grid.
The Author- 
Brian Silvestry , a licensed real estate broker, has been selling residential and commercial real estate since 1999. He has sold in every Manhattan market from Battery Park City to Washington Heights.
Here comes the Sun: Will NYC become the Solar City?
Sunday’s NYT article detailed some of the many reasons that not only single family homes in the suburbs are installing solar systems. Thanks to falling costs and grants from NYS, many buildings can recoup their expenses in about 5 years from installing solar panels. Additionally, thanks to some new innovative techniques, more solar panels can be installed on even flat brownstone roofs. However, one of the limited factors is the NYC fire code which restricts how much surface area of a roof can be covered by panels.