Case Study: Commercial Solar for a Small NYC Business

Electricity costs in New York City continue to rise across the board. Switching to solar offers business owners a proven way to protect their bottom line with energy savings. With major incentives like the 30% Federal Commercial Tax Credit expiring at the end of 2027, the window to secure maximum savings is closing fast.

Read on to see how Starrlight Pizza in Bushwick took advantage of these expiring commercial solar tax credits and how owner Emanuel will see over $100,000 in projected savings over 30 years to power his all-electric kitchen. You can also check out Starrlight Pizza’s testimonial video here!

About Emanuel and Starrlight Pizza

Meet Emanuel, the owner and founder behind Starrlight Pizza located on Starr Street in Brooklyn’s lively Bushwick neighborhood. If you ever find yourself near Maria Hernandez Park, make sure to stop by and try some of his mouthwatering sourdough treats!

Starrlight Pizza is built on a foundation of natural ingredients and sustainable infrastructure, and Emanuel has worked hard to ensure that his business was built from the ground up with environmental responsibility at its core.

“We don’t want to start another business that pollutes, or build a product around dirty energy,” Emanuel explained during our recent chat. He sources most of his ingredients locally and aims to build a strong community of bakers and customers. Emanuel is also a self-proclaimed solar geek, who even took a class a few years ago to become an entry-level certified solar panel installer.

The name of the bakery itself, Starrlight, is a poetic nod to how his baked goods are made. “It’s right in the name that they will get a product made from renewable energy…starlight, you know, because the sun is also just a star.”

Why Starrlight Pizza Decided to Go Solar

For Emanuel, transitioning to solar energy was a natural next step to support his shop’s mission.

Environmental Alignment: Starrlight Pizza’s brand DNA centers on sustainability. Just as Emanuel carefully selects responsibly sourced ingredients for his baked goods, he wanted to ensure his business wasn’t running on fossil fuels.

Powering an Electrified Kitchen: Commercial baking requires serious energy. Running high-capacity, all-electric ovens can quickly lead to high monthly electric bills. Going solar allows the business to offset those heavy operational costs directly.

Maximizing Commercial Solar Incentives: Financial incentives made the investment a smart business move. Emanuel took advantage of key programs to cover a significant portion of system costs:

• 30% Federal Commercial Tax Credit (ITC): Available for commercial systems that complete construction by the end of 2027 (or safe-harbor materials by July 4, 2026).
• NY State Solar Tax Credit: A state credit worth up to $5,000.
• NYC Property Tax Abatement: Offsetting 30% of the total system cost over four years.

The Commercial Solar Design & Installation

Starrlight’s 9kW Brooklyn Solar Canopy was customized to rise above the building’s skylights and hatches, allowing enough space to meet local fire code requirements. The system consists of 21 high efficiency 430-Watt panels that will produce approximately 9,900 kWh of power each year for the bakery’s all electric ovens, lights, and appliances.

By raising the panels above standard roof obstructions, the bakery maximized solar coverage without losing usable square footage. The shaded space underneath the elevated canopy creates a functional outdoor area where Emanuel plans to grow a rooftop herb garden for the shop’s recipes.

1-Day Commercial Solar Installation

A crew of approximately 10 installers and technicians built the system in a single day. While one team worked in the basement setting up the electric meters, the rooftop crew secured the canopy structure and ran clean conduit lines down the exterior building walls. This ensures minimal disruption to the business’ operations.

The Results: Lower Bills & Real-Time Production

Emanuel’s commercial solar system is projected to save the business over $100,000 in energy costs over its 30-year lifespan with a payback period of just 7.5 years. The estimated energy the system will offset 7.5 tons of CO2 emissions each year. Which is also equivalent to planting 181 trees per year.

Day to day, Emanuel uses the Enphase app to track solar production live from his phone. With the information provided from the individual microinverters, he gets a complete look at daily energy generation.

“It’s almost like a little computer game,” Emanuel laughs. “You can see, like, ‘Wow, the sun’s shining… look at what we did!’ The system still makes quite a bit of energy even if the sun is not directly shining, which surprised me a little bit. I thought a cloudy day would be zero, but it’s still a lot.”

Reduce Your Business’ Energy Costs with Solar

Starrlight Pizza’s transition to solar shows how clean energy and smart financial strategy go hand-in-hand for local business owners. By powering his kitchen with the sun, Emanuel built a more sustainable, resilient business right in the heart of Bushwick.

Ready to see how solar can work for your building? Our commercial solar installation team will help you navigate local incentives, design a custom system tailored to your roof, and lower your energy costs for decades to come.

Schedule a free consultation today!