Zara Realty installs solar on every building it owns in Queens, New York
A Queens landlord has installed solar technology on over half the buildings it owns in the borough, part of an ambitious project that will eventually transform its entire portfolio and produce enough clean energy to offset the greenhouse gas emissions of 5 million vehicle miles driven each year.
Zara Realty is halfway to completing its ambitious project of installing solar technology on every building it owns in Queens. Solar panels have been installed on 26 of the 45 buildings Zara Realty owns and manages in Queens, enough to power more than 125 households, producing 1.3 million kWh. The project is expected to be completed at the end of 2021.
Nearly 3,000 of the planned 6,500 panels have been installed and are supplying energy. The $6.5 million installation project is being carried out by veteran-owned New York based Premier Solar Solutions, a veteran-owned New York based solar installation company. The project supports 50 jobs.
“If there is one thing this last year of challenges has made clear, it’s that we all must do whatever we can to help one another and help our planet,” said Tony Subraj, co-Managing Partner at Zara Realty. “As property owners, we are continually making key investments in infrastructure to secure quality housing for generations. As part of that mission, Zara Realty feels it is important to make those investments part of our commitment to leaving a cleaner, greener world for our children. Renewable energy is the future, and Zara Realty has always striven to be at the forefront of the effort to improve our environment.”
“Zara Realty has shown tremendous vision and commitment to renewable energy and this project should serve as a model for other landlords in New York,” said Chris Hoffmann President/Founder of Premier Solar Solutions. “The city and the state have laid out a path to being carbon-free, and this is precisely the type of work it will take to get there. As a Queens native, it makes me so happy to see my home borough at the cutting edge of this effort to realize the goal of clean, renewable energy to ensure our future.”
The project aligns with the state’s Reforming the Energy Vision, which aims to reduce greenhouse gases by 40% and to generate 70% of the state’s electricity from renewable resources by 2030, in addition to the city’s OneNYC plan, which aims to reduce carbon emissions 80% by 2050. According to OneNYC, nearly 75 percent of greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere in New York City comes from buildings.
“The Queens Chamber is proud to see a great Queens business, Zara Realty, leading the way when it comes to social responsibility,” said Thomas Grech, President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “Zara’s commitment to solarizing their building stock is the right thing to do for our environment and ensuring that Queens residents have a great place to live for generations to come. We are delighted to see our Chamber members, Premier Solar Solutions, which is taking the lead on this important project, and Sol Alliance, working together to show that our borough is on the cutting edge of creating the green energy jobs of tomorrow.”
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