IPC Energizes Solar PV System at Landmark Cathedral of St. John the Divine

Solar PV · Solar PPA · New York, New York

The Project

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, one of the largest cathedrals in the world, is a community pillar in Manhattan’s Upper West Side and is now home to a new rooftop solar PV system. Solar One, a NYC-based environmental not-for-profit supporting underserved solar development in the region, originated the project on behalf of the Cathedral, selecting Inclusive Prosperity Capital, Inc. (IPC) to develop the project through completion. Accord Power, a leading Queens-based engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) solar developer, installed the 55-kW system on the roof of an atrium attached to the Cathedral. The New York Green Bank provided construction and permanent financing for the project, and NYSERDA provided funding through its NY-Sun program.

Construction began on the Cathedral in 1892, and it was opened and consecrated in 1911. In 2017, the Cathedral earned a designation from the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. The solar project conforms to all relevant NYC Landmark requirements. This is IPC’s first Landmark project, and its first project with Solar One.

The Impact

The solar PV system contributes to the Cathedral’s long-term financial and environmental sustainability and commitment to clean energy. The Cathedral receives a discount on their electricity rate for the portion that the system offsets.