BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — Central Brooklyn is going green with a new campaign looking to bring solar power to buildings in Bedford-Stuyvesant and northern Crown Heights.
The Central Brooklyn Community Solar Campaign, a partnership between local organizations and not-for-profit network Here Comes Solar, kicked off its efforts last week to help homeowners install the alternative-energy systems.
“We’re harnessing different kinds of outreach to show how to make this possible, how to make it cost-effective and save homeowners money,” said Jeremy Friedman, the campaign’s organizer.
“It mirrors a lot of other kinds of environmental justice concerns that have disproportionately affected lower-income communities and communities of color,” he said, adding that working with neighborhood group Brooklyn Movement Center allows the campaign to connect with locals on the ground.
The initiative aims to reach 55 homeowners in Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights, as well as support other avenues of solar energy for residents further down the line.
Within the past year, Here Comes Solar has helped 70 Brooklynites through the process of installing rooftop solar technology, according to director Chris Neidl.
The non-profit assists with pre-assessing sites and helping residents organize into groups to collectively solicit proposals from installers — a method Neidl said helps owners cut down on costs.
In addition to helping lighten the burden on bills, solar panels help residents use clean energy, organizers said.
The campaign is part of the NY-Sun program and the Solarize initiative, in which the state and local communities collaborate to make it easier for participants to simplify the purchasing process and get discounts on solar projects.
Other campaigns in the borough include Solarize Brownsville, along with Solarize Brooklyn CB6: Sun for All, which includes Park Slope, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens and Red Hook.
To learn more about the Central Brooklyn Community Solar Campaign, visit the website here.
