Brooklyn SolarWorks was founded in 2015 with the goal to make solar appealing and accessible for Brooklyn homeowners. But we understand that homeowners aren’t the only Brooklynites who want to reduce their use of fossil fuels. That’s why we look to support local non-profit organizations, like CHiPS, by providing solar energy for them. 

Last month, we installed a solar canopy on the rooftop of CHiPS’s building on 4th Avenue – right down the street from us! Continue reading to learn about the wonderful work that CHiPS does and how our organizations collaborated on this project.

What is CHiPS?

CHiPS (Community Help in Park Slope) has been serving the Park Slope-Gowanus community since 1971. The organization is committed to cultivating equity and resilience through its free-of-charge food distribution and housing programs. 

The CHiPS Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen serves hot, nutritious meals to around 150 New Yorkers everyday. Last year, the organization provided over 100,000 meals to those in need, along with clothing, toiletries, and other necessities.

The organization’s Frances Residence Program provides shelter to expecting or single mothers and their infants, as well as pre and postnatal care. The program offers year-long housing in fully furnished studio apartments. It also offers counseling and other services to help mothers secure permanent housing and employment and learn parenting skills.

Prior to the pandemic, CHiPS welcomed over 100 volunteers to support the Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen. The organization has also built a broad network of schools, churches, synagogues, organizations, and donors throughout the community.

How did BSW help?

For this project, we installed a six truss solar canopy consisting of 52 LG 380 panels. This is a 20 kW system that we expect will produce around 23,000 kWh of energy per year. This equates to electric savings of around $6,000 a year.

“We started Brooklyn SolarWorks because we wanted to build solar where we lived,” Brooklyn SolarWorks President and Founder Gaelen McKee said. “We’re a very community driven company and the community has been good to us, so we wanted to give something back. 

The CHiPS project was a great opportunity for us to help a local non-profit save some money on their power bill while also giving us the satisfaction of seeing an awesome solar canopy every time we drive down 4th Ave.”

How will CHiPS use its solar?

CHiPS will be using its new solar system as an independent energy source to power its facilities. This includes its soup kitchen and its transitional apartments for mothers and their babies. 

“In 2021, our focus has been all about ‘moving forward’ at CHiPS, in every possible way,” said the administrative staff at CHiPS. “We looked to solar as a way to update our operations to a greener, forward-thinking energy source that would also support our desire to be responsible stewards and citizens of the Park Slope and Gowanus communities.”

We’re incredibly proud of this project and so appreciative of the opportunity to continue spreading solar in our community. We look forward to continuing to connect with and provide solar to other community based organizations like CHiPS.

Questions? Reach out to our team at 347-318-4771 or schedule your free consultation here.

Company launched in 2015 also expands solar rooftop footprint beyond Brooklyn into Manhattan and Queens with 80+ installs.

It is extremely fulfilling to know that we’ve installed 1000 solar systems here in NYC – each one has been a gratifying experience of “flipping the switch” to clean solar energy,” said T.R. Ludwig, CEO and Founder, Brooklyn SolarWorks.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PRWEB) SEPTEMBER 01, 2021

Brooklyn SolarWorks, a leading residential solar system design and installation provider, today announced the completion of its 1,000th installation with many hundreds of those installations custom designed to meet stringent landmark property rooftop codes in New York City (NYC). Originally developed as a NYC-specific product to make solar viable on the most challenging townhome roofs, the company’s patented, award-winning solar energy systems are now available everywhere in the U.S. through its subsidiary Brooklyn Solar Canopy.

Launched in 2015 with a hyper local focus on Brooklyn, Brooklyn SolarWorks has since expanded its “solar rooftop footprint” into Manhattan and Queens with 80+ installations. The company has also been a consistent jobs generator and made a significant impact on the “new economy” in NYC by employing more than 50 local team members.

“It is extremely fulfilling to know that we’ve installed 1000 solar systems here in NYC – each one has been a gratifying experience of “flipping the switch” to clean solar energy, said T.R. Ludwig, CEO and Founder, Brooklyn SolarWorks. “Our customers are the cornerstone of our business and we are so thankful for their support and engagement with their projects. Our amazing team of solar warriors brave the NYC landscape daily and have changed this city one rooftop at a time. We look forward to this new chapter of Brooklyn SolarWorks by spreading solar power throughout NYC and making it as accessible as possible for all New Yorkers. We are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the clean energy transition now and in the future.”

In addition to the 1,000th installation and strategic expansion into the other boroughs of New York City, Brooklyn SolarWorks also announced the following significant milestones and key initiatives:

• Providing ongoing support for local non-profit organizations like CHiPS, a soup kitchen and shelter for homeless mothers located in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Brooklyn SolarWorks installed a rooftop solar energy system at the organization’s location as part of New York State’s Inclusive Community Solar Adder program
• CEO/Founder T.R. Ludwig provided solar industry thought leadership in a New York Times column on ways individuals and households can reduce their carbon footprint(s).
• Ludwig also co-authored a bylined article “Urban Solar Can Interconnection Can Be Modernized, Simplified and Standardized” that was featured in Solar Power World.

Brooklyn SolarWorks’ expansion into the other four boroughs of NYC included installations and educational efforts on the benefits of solar power in the world famous Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan.

“Harlem, one of NYC’s most culturally rich and historic neighborhoods, is full of flat roof residential buildings and homeowners that are interested in switching to clean energy,” said Ludwig. “It is well known that communities of color, like those found in Northern Manhattan, are disproportionately impacted by air pollution and greenhouse gases produced by burning fossil fuels. Replacing conventional energy sources, one building at a time, can impact the entire city. That’s why our canvass team has been regularly speaking with individuals in Harlem to spread information regarding the process of going solar in NYC and the rebates that can be claimed during tax season.”

Brooklyn SolarWorks has also been an active participant in New York State’s “CarbonZero” initiative, which aims to eliminate greenhouse emissions across the state by the year 2050. To date, Brooklyn SolarWorks has produced more than 12 million kilowatthours (kWh) of clean energy, which is equal to:

• The carbon sequestered by 3,438 acres of US forest in one year
• Greenhouse gas emissions from 7,502,994 miles driven by a passenger vehicle
• Co2 emissions from 3,101,848 pounds of coal burned
• Co2 emissions from 341,375,807 smartphones charged

For more information or to schedule a free consultation, please visit https://www.brooklynsolarworks.com.

About Brooklyn SolarWorks

Founded in 2015 Brooklyn SolarWorks is the borough’s leading residential solar system design and installation provider with 1,000+ systems completed. Our continued success owes to our skilled and energetic team; a locally tailored approach to design and construction; an unparalleled mastery of city codes and regulations; and our hyper-local focus on the unique needs and expectations of the New York homeowner and sophisticated real estate markets. For more information, please visit https://www.brooklynsolarworks.com.

Read the full press release here.

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