One of the first Community Solar projects in New York State is on line, developed by an Ulster County building owner who employed a sophisticated tax strategy in the construction of a unique solar array. The discount electric power was then marketed to a small group of customers already doing business with a home heating oil company.

SMCBC, LLC hired Inside Track Solar, Inc. to lead the contracting, development, and construction of 532 bi-facial panels on a medical arts building at 918 Ulster Avenue, Kingston.

The solar panels were made in nearby Highland by Prism Solar Technologies, Inc.Inside Track Solar President Tom Kacandes specified the system to maximize the amount of power produced by elevating the panels higher above the roof than any previous system so that the bi-facial panels can make additional power from light reflected by a white roof installed for the purpose. The roof not only adds to the solar kilowatt-hours per year, but also rejects infrared solar rays to keep the building cooler in the summer, reducing cooling demand and improving tenant comfort.

Building owner Robert Ryan made an additional investment in new, more efficient HVAC units on the joint advice of his real estate consultant, Joseph Deegan, principal, SVN Deegan-Collins Commercial Real Estate Associates and Kacandes. The solar kilowatt-hours produced by the new system go directly to the grid and are allocated by Central Hudson Gas & Electric to two dozen residential customers of HeritagEnergy, a home heating oil company, via their new affiliate Heritage Solar, which charges a discounted rate for the solar credits they receive. Heritage Solar plans additional Community Distributed Generation or CDG projects now allowable under new state rules to serve many more of their 10,000+ residential customers.

The Ryan development is currently the only community solar project in Central Hudson, Orange & Rockland, Con Edison and PSEG Long Island territories. Kacandes now is helping the owners of HeritagEnergy commercialize a solar panel rack technology that allows panels to form a waterproof roof. More information about this technology, for which he holds two patents, can be found at www.insidetracksolar.com