Solar panel owner rooked out of rebate

From NBC 4:

A Queens consumer now produces more energy than he uses thanks to his new solar panels. But he still has a problem. Lynda Baquero reports.

This is what The Delta is

Always wondered just what the hell this was supposed to be and finally looked it up:

The Delta is the 1st building in NYC to be 100% powered by solar and utilizes many renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies that significantly decrease it's energy use by more then 75% compared with the average building.

Voltaic Solaire's goal with the project: "If we can develop a building that powers itself, on an unusual triangular lot in one of the most code-heavy cities in the world, our hope is to serve as a model, and inspire other developers around the world to do the same."

You can supposedly take a tour of it, too.

An environmentally friendly Kew Gardens Cinema

From DNA Info:

Kew Gardens Cinemas may be eight decades old, but the theater is at the forefront of the latest environmental trend.

The art deco indie flick venue, at 81-05 Lefferts Blvd., near Austin Street, is currently installing several solar panels on its rooftop.

The solar panels will cover about 6,000 square feet of the building's roof, owner Harvey Elgart said in an email Friday.

Energy produced by the panels will be used to power lights and movie projectors at the six-screen theater, according to its representative. It was not clear how many of the projectors would be powered by the panels.

More incentives needed for solar panels

From Metro:

Despite Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s vow to install more solar panels on rooftops, outlined in his PlaNYC, the number of panels in the Big Apple compose only 3 percent of the nation’s total, according to testimony.

Councilman James Gennaro said New York needs to speed up adding solar panels to building tops, especially since the city is “the rooftop capital of the state,” he said.

But creating solar energy can be expensive — a city Department of Buildings spokesman testified that outfitting a regular brownstone with panels might cost as much as $50,000 for the labor and permits required.

The city provides a rebate to reimburse 20 percent of the installation fee, but council members said more incentives would help ease the expense for New Yorkers.