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Solar Installations Down 55 Percent On Long Island

Craig Ruttle
/
AP

After two years of triple-digit growth, new solar power installations on Long Island have decreased by more than 50 percent.

PSEG Long Island report that the first six months of this year have seen about 3,000 installations, compared to nearly 7,000 in the first six months of last year.

Mike Voltz, director of Energy Efficiency and Renewables for PSEG Long Island, says the growth in the past few years was an economic bubble and that the decrease is a sign of a stable market.

“I think it’s a healthy environment because you don’t have the massive influx of companies from all over the country trying to knock on your door and sell. But we have a strong, solid, local industry of probably at least 30 to 40 local contractors.

I would say it’s a stable or sustainable level of installations at about 500 a month. The level that occurred in ‘15 and ‘16 was unsustainable and it was created by a combination of expiring tax credits and aggressive leasing companies.”

About 40,000 Long Island residents have rooftop solar installations.

While residential installations have decreased, commercial solar power systems are on the rise. Long Island Power Authority awarded contracts for commercial rooftop solar installations in 31 locations last month.

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