Con Edison Customers Set Records in 2023 for Solar, Battery & EV Installations
Con Edison customers set records for solar and battery storage capacity and electric vehicle charging installations, as well as doubling electric vehicle sales in 2023, according to the company’s quarterly snapshot of customer adoption of clean energy technologies.
Customers also completed more than 5,600 heat pump installations this past year, topping 30,000 since 2020.
The Q4 results underscore Con Edison’s commitment to usher in a clean energy future that is smart, efficient, and enables every New Yorker to share the benefits of a more sustainable electric grid.
“It takes all of us to build a cleaner future, and we applaud our customers for doing their part to help us transition away from relying on harmful fossil fuels,” said Tim Cawley, chairman and CEO of Con Edison. “Through our programs and incentives, we look forward to another record-setting year as we work together with our customers to support New York’s clean energy goals.”
The records were reported in the latest Clean Energy Update. The update is a quarterly snapshot of four important clean energy technologies: solar generation, battery storage, electric vehicles and building electrification adopted by customers in the five boroughs of New York City and Westchester County. The data in this update is collected as part of the company’s work to build infrastructure capabilities, programs and incentives that make it easier for customers to install clean energy technologies in their homes and businesses.
Solar Generation
Con Edison customers installed more than 12,100 solar projects in 2023 with 92.1 megawatts (MW) of capacity. That brings customers’ solar generating capacity to more than 579 MW. That’s the same capacity as the largest solar farm in the country that provides electricity to almost 255,000 households. Queens customers have the most solar installations, with 21,810 projects.
Westchester County customers lead in solar generation capacity with 155.8 MW followed closely by Queens’ 151.3 MW. Staten Islanders have installed 115.1 MW of capacity.
Forecast
New York’s first solar eclipse in 100 years on April 8 will last less than five minutes and have a negligible impact on Con Edison solar customers’ generation capacity. Upstate New Yorkers will have the best views according to Gov. Kathy Hochul. Remember to wear proper eye protection when viewing the eclipse.
Innovations
Four New York-based teams are semifinalists in the US Department of Energy’s American-Made Solar Prize Round 7. Two of the four finalists are in New York City. Check out their ideas in solar innovation here.
Battery Storage
Last year, customers installed 141 battery storage projects with a capacity of 21.8 MW, more than tripling the storage capacity that was installed in 2022 with 30 fewer projects.
In total, Con Edison customers installed 46.5 MW of storage capacity. They have now completed 588 installations.
Westchester customers completed 528 of the 588 battery storage projects with the capacity to store 13.6 MW. Brooklyn edged out Manhattan in the quarter with 18 systems installed.
Forecast
Community scale battery storage will play an even more important role as renewable energy replaces fossil-fuels. New legislation called the City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality is designed to make it easier to get battery storage projects approved and built in the five boroughs.
Trends
NYSERDA is offering New York City Retail Energy Storage programs additional incentives. A Feb. 29 webinar covered the details.
Innovations
Technological advances in battery storage provide customers with the opportunity to cut their energy costs and allow utilities to place more battery capacity on their properties. That’s important in New York City, where the density of development can limit space.
Con Edison last year placed the largest battery system in New York City into operation. The system at a substation in Fox Hills can discharge 7.5 megawatts for up to 30 hours, providing more reliability for Con Edison customers in the area.
Electric Vehicles & Charging
Con Edison’s PowerReady program has provided incentives for more than 6,600 vehicle charge plugs since it began in 2020. In 2023, more than 3,000 plugs were installed, setting a new annual record.
Every EV that replaces a gas-powered vehicle on the road means cleaner air for local communities and less carbon pollution fueling climate change.
In November, the Public Service Commission authorized the second phase of Con Edison’s PowerReady program. Phase two significantly increases the charging plug goals and offers higher incentives that are more in line with today’s cost of installing EV chargers.
PowerReady now aims to support approximately 25,000 charging plugs by 2025, to achieve the installation of 400,000 plugs by 2035 – and 1 million by 2050.
Forecast
A 2023 study by the Environmental Defense Fund found that Con Edison’s PowerReady (formerly Make Ready) program “would have a neutral-to-beneficial impact on rates.” The report indicated that revenue generated by the program may reduce costs for all ratepayers.
Trends
There are 69,000 EVs on the road in NYC and Westchester, and as of the end of 2023,10 percent of the cars purchased in both NYC and Westchester were EVs. That’s double the sales share at the end of 2022, when only 5 percent of cars purchased in our service area were EVs.
Innovations
To get ahead of the demand for EV charging, Con Edison has a new program that provides incentives to charging operators to promote off-peak and overnight charging with their fleets or for their customers. The program, SmartCharge Commercial, will help incentivize the building of charging ports and provide the company with insight into customer charging behavior, and how price signals impact charging habits.
Clean Heat
Con Edison’s Clean Heat program offers incentives for customers who replace their fossil-fuel powered HVAC systems and water heaters with heat pumps that move energy from the air or stored in the earth to provide carbon-free heating and cooling.
In 2023, Con Edison’s Clean Heat Program committed $72 million in incentives for customer projects.
The company rolled out a new incentive structure for its residential program in January 2023. The program has gained momentum utilizing a strong education and outreach effort to build awareness and interest in heat pump technology. The year ended with 5,619 projects completed.
Innovations
Technological advances in battery storage provide customers with the opportunity to cut their energy costs and allow utilities to place more battery capacity on their properties. That’s important in New York City, where the density of development can limit space.
Con Edison last year placed the largest battery system in New York City into operation. The system at a substation in Fox Hills can discharge 7.5 megawatts for up to 30 hours, providing more reliability for Con Edison customers in the area.
Trends
Air source heat pumps remain the most popular choice for customers in 2023.
Innovations
Con Edison has proposed three pilot projects in response to the Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act. This program is scaling heat pump technology so that multiple buildings can use it for heating and cooling. To hear more about it, listen to Con Edison’s Current Thought podcast.
Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. [NYSE: ED], one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $15 billion in annual revenues and $66 billion in assets. The utility delivers electricity, natural gas and steam, and serves 3.6 million customers in New York City and Westchester County. For financial, operations and customer service information, visit conEd.com. For energy efficiency information, visit coned.com/energyefficiency.