Solar: New York

Compare Electricity has developed a solar score for New York to help residents and businesses determine if a solar installation is a viable and cost-effective solution. The solar score is based on a combination of many different factors. New York is slightly less viable for residential solar installations than the national average. The NYC metro receives 4-4.5 kWh of direct sunlight per square mile per day while upstate NY receives 3.5-4 kWh/sq. m/day. Both are slightly below the national average of 4.7 kWh/sq. m/day. However, an estimated 76% of roofs in New York are viable for solar installation which is higher than the national average. In order to be a viable roof, it must be able to hold 2 kW of solar installation and be unobstructed from direct sunlight. The average roof size in New York is slightly below the national average at 405 sq ft. In general, a residential or business solar installation is a viable option for New York residents. For more information of New York's solar score, see the graph below.