Solar 411 for Your Brooklyn Home

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The top six solar fundamentals for Brooklyn homeowners exploring solar: 

1. Yes, you can install solar on your flat roof.

You may have been told by other installers that solar on flat roof homes in NYC is not possible. This is definitely not the case. Flat roof homes – particularly 100-150 year old brownstones – require specific design/installation equipment and expertise to install solar, but it can definitely happen. One option is a Solar Canopy that elevates panels above roof obstructions while creating space for decks, green roofs, and other amenities.

2. Yes, going solar in New York involves a lot of steps.

But it's the job of the solar installer to complete them, not the homeowner. This is our beloved city. All construction projects involve complex permitting and take time and effort to complete! Fortunately, solar is a turn-key business, which means the installer must manage all permits and permissions on behalf of the customer - the City, ConEd and any other entities involved. Your solar project will take about 3-4 months to complete from contract signing, but during that time, you shouldn’t have to do a thing until installation day.

3. Yes, you can install solar on your landmarked home. 

NYC has some of the most stringent historic preservation rules anywhere and many Brooklyn neighborhoods have high concentrations of landmarked homes. Solar customers logically assume that adding a space-age technology to a historic home with landmark designation won’t go over well with the city. But, in reality, as long as the panels are concealed from view from the street, solar is permitted.

4. Solar equipment, installation and operation are surprisingly simple.

The components, installation, and operation of a solar system are actually surprisingly simple. First, it’s fast. Installation can be completed a day and, for smaller projects, sometimes in just a few hours. Second, it has few parts. All of the equipment is located on the roof (panels) and in the basement’s electrical service area (inverter), which are connected by a simple tube of conduit. Once installed and turned on, none of it moves, makes any sound, or requires active input from the homeowner. And every system is connected to the internet, allowing the homeowner and installer to monitor performance.

5. New York City homeowners enjoy the best financial incentives for solar in the United States.

Having super-high electricity rates is usually incentive enough to make solar a worthwhile investment. But, living in New York means homeowners can take advantage of several federal, state, and city tax credits that can offset up to 70% of out-of-pocket costs. This makes for fast payback times and super attractive ROI. 

6. Going solar adds to property values.

New York City homeowners see some of the biggest impacts when they add solar. According to an April 2019 study by Zillow.com, solar homes sell on average at 4.1% higher than comparable homes without solar. The study also found that the solar boost was higher in the NYC metro area than the national average, topping out at 5.4%. That’s an extra $23,989 in value for solar home owners in the five boroughs. The study corroborated similar findings of an early report funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. 

Five years ago Brooklyn SolarWorks set up shop in Gowanus on a mission to overcome barriers to solar adoption in the borough and bring affordable, convenient solar to local homeowners. Next month BSW will proudly celebrate its 800th sale, making us the leading residential solar provider in Brownstone Brooklyn. (Check out our customer map to see how many systems we’ve installed in your zip code). What’s our secret? Mastering local Brooklyn realities and conditions and developing approaches to permitting, design, and installation that are specifically adapted to them. 

The 2019 Nanny Survey Results are In!

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Parent Category: Newsflashes

Category: Newsflash

The 2019 data is here! PSP conducted its 7th survey of employers who employ a nanny. These results are based on 870 parents from Brooklyn who employ live-out nannies who are not part of a nanny share.

IMPORTANT FINDINGS:

PAY**

$18.65 per hour for 1 child ($1.60 more than 2017)
$19.94 per hour for 2 children ($1.61 more than 2017)

Part-time nannies continue to make a higher hourly rate than a full-time nannies, paying a premium for fewer hours:
$19.78 per hour for 10-20 hours
$18.77 per hour for 40-50 hours

TIME OFF:

The average agreed upon days off is 13 days, while the reported days actually received is 21 days. (The vast majority of nannies are paid for all 21 days they receive off.)
Seven in ten (70%) let their nanny schedule time off at the nanny's discretion (something for which PSP advocates.)

RAISES & BONUSES:
The most common first year annual increase is $1 per hour.
Giving end of year bonuses continues to be standard, with 1 week's pay given the most common amount.
The average bump in pay when a second child arrives is $2 per hour. 

• Data includes nannies paid on and off the books. 
• Rates do NOT reflect Nanny Shares where a nanny takes care of kids from 2 families at the same time. 

NOT A MEMBER OF PARK SLOPE PARENTS? You're missing out!

If you're a parent in Brooklyn (almost half of all PSP members live outside Park Slope), Join Park Slope Parents today!

MORE: PSP RESOURCES TO HIRING A NANNY:

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