Con Edison customers continue to install solar despite challenges poised by pandemic

Con Edison customers in New York City and Westchester County, N.Y., installed 5,542 solar arrays in 2020 with the capacity to produce 44.77 megawatts of power.

Overall, Con Edison customers have now completed more than 35,700 projects with the capacity to produce 322 megawatts.

“The pandemic caused a pause in construction, and the recession created apprehension among people who wanted to invest in their homes and businesses,” Lenny Singh, Con Edison’s senior vice president, Customer Energy Solutions, said. “But it’s a tribute to our customers that they continued to choose clean, renewable solar energy. Our customers are our greatest asset as we seek to lead our state and region toward a clean energy future.”

Customers in Queens have had the most customer solar arrays installed with 11,334, including 2,604 last year. Westchester County is the leader in capacity, producing 83.75 megawatts.

The company now offers solar installers and their customers a device called Smart ConnectDER, which lets them avoid the cost of upgrading the home’s circuit breaker panel. It can save a solar customer upwards of $1,000. Further, the company received New York State Public Service Commission approval to shorten the process for customers with solar projects up to 5 megawatts. Previously, customers applying to interconnect these projects had to pay for a detailed engineering review that could take up to three months. This new process has shortened the interconnection timeline.

Con Edison is the second-largest solar producer in North America and the seventh-largest in the world. The company provides electricity, natural gas, and steam to 3.5 million customers in New York City and Westchester County, N.Y.