Catholic Charities: Microgrid Master Plan
Catholic Charities of Brooklyn + Queens (CCPOPD) engaged Crauderueff & Associates to develop a plan for advancing solar PV and battery storage on its 27-building portfolio of multifamily senior and affordable housing. They sought to utilize the income from solar projects to create a revolving fund for additional green improvements through its special purpose non-profit, Laudato Si. C&A developed concept designs, advised on site selection, conducted a comprehensive review of financing options, and compared multiple financing scenarios using proprietary models. Upon passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, C&A worked with Catholic Charities’ tax and legal professionals to identify a strategy that may allow CCPOPD to access 50% Federal Solar Investment Tax Credits, optimize use of state incentives, and draw a development fee. C&A also developed a list of priority sites for battery storage to achieve climate resiliency in the event of a power outage, estimated costs, modeled revenues, and identified funding sources to implement a pilot project.
NYU Langone: Solar Feasibility Study
NYU Langone engaged Crauderueff to evaluate its Long Island hospital campus for solar feasibility. C&A conducted site evaluations, developed designs, modeled shading and production, estimated pricing, conducted a tariff review, and provided multiple financial scenarios. The scope included two hospital rooftops, multifamily housing, and multiple parking lots for solar canopies. C&A developed a final report summarizing its findings and advising NYU of potential next steps. Work was completed as subcontractor to CodeGreen Solutions.
Empire State Realty Trust: EV Charging, Solar Bid Leveling, and Incentive Review
Malkin Holdings, a sister company to the Empire State Realty Trust, engaged Crauderueff & Associates to level bids for EV charging and solar PV for five developments across the country. Crauderueff led the interview process of bidders, issued a follow-up RFI, and coordinated with respondents. C&A modeled potential EV charging use for each property over time, normalized responses for project cost, and ranked the responses. In tandem, Crauderueff conducted a comprehensive review of EV charging incentives for each state and Federally, and applied the incentives to the bid leveling economic analysis. C&A also compared solar PV responses and suggested a path forward to leverage local solar markets.
Staten Island EDC: Community Solar Master Plan + Technical Assistance
The Staten Island Economic Development Corporation (SIEDC) engaged C&A to develop a borough-wide Community Solar Master Plan. The plan included a survey of members, an evaluation of the total commercial solar potential for industrial sites on Staten Island, a strategy for prioritizing these sites, an estimation of jobs created through solar development, and an analysis of total potential bill savings per low income household subscribed to these projects. This Master Plan serves as the foundation for providing technical assistance to property owners across Staten Island, funded by NYSERDA.
Enterprise Community Partners: Technical Assistance
For the past two years, Enterprise has retained Crauderueff Solar to provide affordable housing owners across New York State with technical assistance. The primary goal has been to assist property owners in determining the best deal structure to advance solar for their building portfolio. Through this work, the Enterprise-Crauderueff team has trained and provided technical assistance to more than 30 affordable housing owners, land banks, and land trusts, and evaluated more than 1,000 properties, statewide.
In an effort to help property owners capture value through solar development, the team is advancing more than 3 MW of solar across New York State. The work is supported by a grant provided through NYSERDA’s predevelopment technical assistance program.
2700 Grand Concourse: Owner's Representation
A large multifamily housing landlord engaged Crauderueff as owner’s representative to support the first solar project on its expansive portfolio. Crauderueff managed each phase of the project, including financial modeling, bid management, design review, and construction administration. Crauderueff advised the client with respect to navigating ConEd to avoid costly upgrades to the building’s electrical equipment. The project remained on budget when the project was commissioned.
New York State Council of Churches: Community Solar and Technical Assistance
The New York State Council of Churches and Crauderueff Solar are working jointly with a grant from NYSERDA to bring community solar and technical assistance to churches and affordable housing programs across New York State. Through this program, they provide churches with consultations for solar system development and/or community solar subscription. These churches share the financial benefits of solar subscription with their parishioners and the communities they serve, with a focus on low-to-moderate income communities.
Lynn's Place: Owner's Representation and PPA
Crauderueff represented the Unique People’s Services for the development of a 36kW canopy solar PV system. The solar project was developed for Lynn’s Place, a ground-up supportive housing project owned by UPS. Crauderueff analyzed existing designs, drafted the RFP, managed the bid process, negotiated with solar developers, and ensured the successful installation and commissioning of the system. The solar PV is financed through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Lynn’s place received the solar PV system at zero up-front cost. The property owner is purchasing the electricity generated by the solar panels at a significant discount from Con Edison electric rates.
Network for a Sustainable Tomorrow: Low-Income Toolkit
C&A is partnering with the Network for a Sustainable Tomorrow (NEST) to develop a community solar toolkit for community development organizations and solar companies. Crauderueff is conducting a market study of community solar developers across New York State to evaluate opportunities and challenges for subscribing LMI households to community solar projects. Crauderueff also is providing technical assistance for NEST to assess local sites for community solar development, including assistance with site selection and financial modeling. Finally, Crauderueff will develop a toolkit for community organizations and solar developers to subscribe LMI households and develop above-market rate community solar projects.
Christopher Community: Community Solar
Christopher Community worked with Crauderueff to reduce operating expenses through community solar subscriptions for more than 30 properties it owns and manages in National Grid territory. Crauderueff educated Christopher Community leadership with respect to project benefits and, more generally, best practices in the Community Solar industry. After a thorough due diligence process, Christopher Community decided to work with Crauderueff and solar developer OYA Solar to participate in its community solar program. The project will generate more than $1,000,000 in savings at zero cost to Christopher Community or its housing partners, subscribing more than 2MW of solar.