Connecting solar in New York City takes an electrical permit and inspection, a panel or service connection the code allows, and Con Edison's interconnection approval before the system exports. Systems placed in service from 2024 through 2034 can earn a property tax abatement of 7.5 percent of the cost per year for four years, starting after Department of Buildings approval.
Who does what on a solar job
Most city solar jobs involve four parties: the installer who designs the array and mounts the panels, the electrician who wires the system into the building, Con Edison, which approves the interconnection and changes the meter, and the Department of Buildings, which permits and inspects the work.
Delays usually happen at the hand-offs. A design approved without checking the panel, or an inspection booked before the utility paperwork is ready, can each add weeks.
How solar connects to your panel
Solar feeds power back into your electrical system, and the code limits how much a panel can accept. Many older city panels are too small or too full to take a solar breaker as they are.
The options are a breaker in the existing panel when it fits, a supply-side connection ahead of the main breaker, or a panel upgrade at the same time. Choosing the method before the design is final keeps the job from stalling at inspection.
Interconnection with Con Edison
Before a system can export, Con Edison has to approve the interconnection, and the meter usually has to be changed or reprogrammed. The installed system has to match what was approved, down to the inverter and the disconnect.
Much of Con Edison's system in the city is an underground, networked distribution grid, which needs special consideration when generation like solar connects to it. That is one reason the utility's review can take time in dense neighborhoods.
Permits and inspection
Solar is permitted electrical work in the city, filed through DOB NOW and inspected before it is signed off. Electrical permits are valid for at most 12 months and must be renewed if the job runs longer.
The inspection looks at the wiring, the disconnects, the labels and rapid shutdown. Having every label in place before the inspector arrives is the simplest way to pass the first time.
The property tax abatement
New York City's solar property tax abatement for systems placed in service from 2024 through 2034 is 7.5 percent of the installation cost per year, applied for four years starting the July 1 after Department of Buildings approval. Each year it is capped at the lower of that year's property taxes or $62,500.
The Department of Buildings decides eligibility and the Department of Finance applies the credit to your tax bill. A clean electrical filing and a passed inspection are what start the clock.
| Service start | Abatement per year | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 through 2034 | 7.5 percent of cost | Four |
| 2014 through 2023 | 5 percent of cost | Four |
What it costs electrically
The electrical share of a solar job depends mostly on the panel. If the existing panel can accept the connection, the electrical work is wiring, disconnects and labels. If it cannot, a supply-side connection or a panel upgrade adds to the scope.
Ask whether the quote includes the utility side as well. A meter change, a new disconnect at the meter or a longer feeder to a rooftop array can each add a line item, and they are easier to plan for before the panels arrive than after.
Long conduit runs from the roof to a basement panel in a tall building add labor too. Ask for the electrical scope to be priced separately so you can see where the cost sits.
Checklist before you sign
A solar contract should answer the electrical questions up front. These are the ones that most often change the price or the schedule later.
If any answer is vague, ask for it in writing. It is far cheaper to settle the panel question before the panels arrive than after. Ask as well who attends the city inspection and who is on site when Con Edison visits.
- Has the panel been checked for the solar connection?
- Which connection method is planned?
- Who files the electrical permit?
- Who prepares the Con Edison paperwork?
- Is a panel upgrade included if needed?
Services this guide covers
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
It varies with the system and the grid where you are; dense network areas can take longer.
No. Wait for approval and the meter change before exporting.
A connection ahead of the main breaker, used when the panel cannot take the solar breaker.
7.5 percent of the cost per year for four years, for systems in service from 2024 through 2034, up to the yearly cap.
It starts the July 1 after DOB approval.
Sometimes. It depends on the panel's rating and what is already on it.