250,000 Miles and 30 Community Solar Projects
250,000 Miles, 30 31 Community Solar Projects ... and 8 Billion kWh
By David Byrne, Founder - Renua Energy
South Glens Falls, NY - June 7, 2022
When I left my job at LG Electronics Solar and started Renua Energy full time four years ago, my goal was to leverage my network and experience in the solar industry into a service that provided custom permitting and project development services to the community solar marketplace.
Over the past few years, we have seen changes in state and private funding, as well as local zoning, that has posed both opportunities and challenges to the community solar industry here in upstate NY. During that time, we’ve grown our team from just a few to a focused and professional operation focused on solar services in our region. I’m pleased to say that we’re reaching some significant and meaningful milestones, and we have done it as a team.
We have just secured our 31st community solar project AHJ permit in New York State. There are presently 162 community solar projects in the 4 upstate utility territories. Our 31 permitted projects represent a significant increase in the upstate community solar project market adding 19% to NY State’s community solar capacity in the four upstate utility territories (Central Hudson, NYSEG, National Grid, RG&E).
Those 31 projects produce enough electricity every year to fully power over 25,000 single family homes with the clean and renewable energy provided by these solar projects.
This accomplishment has taken a toll on my car, however. Since the 80,000 miles on the clock when I bought it, I’ve logged over 170,000 miles in the last several years, crossing back and forth across the state and traversing more remote acres and removing more persnickety ticks than I know, from Buffalo to Oswegatchie to Dekalb.
Those 170,000 miles have been key to permitting thirty community solar projects that will produce approximately 8 billion kWh of solar-powered electricity for the upstate electrical grid over their expected 30-year lifetime.
That, in turn, prevents the production of about 6.2 million tons of CO2.
1- Renua's 31 community solar projects span the state (some pins represent more than one project)
To put that in perspective, the clean, renewable energy produced by these community solar projects will …
Reduce CO2 emissions by the equivalent of:
- 14,072,764,695 gasoline-powered passenger vehicle miles
- 6,272,742,638 pounds of coal burned
- 556,921,397 gallons of diesel consumed
Eliminate greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to:
- 1,961,751 tons of waste recycled rather than landfilled
- 214,878,268 incandescent lamps switched to LEDs
… and they will have sequestered an amount of carbon equivalent to:
- 93,745,006 tree seedlings grown for 10 years
- 6,709,440 acres of US forests in one year … which is about the size of the entire Adirondack State Park
2- Renua Energy's founder, Dave Byrne, is all smiles at one of the company's upstate projects
I’m pleased by the impact that our team has had on the community solar industry here where we live in upstate NY and by the downstream environmental impact that our work will have for the next 30 years and beyond.
And we’re just getting started!
In 2021, we expanded Renua to bring some of that renewable energy to the electric vehicle market by playing a role in the EV Charger Installation Market. In the years to come, we will continue to play important roles in the production of clean energy and the use of that clean energy in clean electric vehicles on upstate NY’s roadways.
At Renua Energy … it’s all about empowering our customers!
If you're looking to get community solar projects permitted and energized in NYS, reach out to us! We shine on tough projects that require a high-touch, stakeholder-centric approach, often going above and beyond by spending countless hours with adjoining property owners to address their concerns.
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Renua Energy is a federally and state certified SDVOSB providing solar development project resources and electric vehicle service equipment project development.
