Case Study
Stories about New Yorkers leading the clean energy transition in their own homes.
Clean Energy
New York City’s first community-owned solar project is the definition of a team effort
Longtime community organizers UPROSE worked with a group of allies to bring community-owned solar to Sunset Park.
Financing
Finding the funds for community ownership
Clean energy developer Working Power helped UPROSE build a community solar project truly owned by the community, not investors.
Profile
“Wow, there’s one more brownstone powered by solar.”
Skylight sits down with Brooklyn SolarWorks’ Shane Preece to understand a day in the life of a solar installer.
Cool Tech
How a hole in the Guggenheim revealed a hole in the insulation market
A Massachusetts startup offers a novel building insulation method with promise for aging New York City buildings.
Policy
A revamped NYC Accelerator bets on its “Momentum” platform to push building projects forward
A new online tool brings together swaths of data to help buildings scope and plan LL97 energy efficiency projects
Ask an Expert
“We have to walk and chew gum at the same time”:
Affordable housing expert Sadie McKeown says for multifamily buildings in New York, affordability and energy efficiency go hand-in-hand
reports on the clean energy challenge happening right now in New York, illustrating how New Yorkers are tackling decarbonization at home: In their apartments, co-ops, and houses.
Getting Started
Financing
Finding clean energy funds: A guide to NYSERDA’s incentives and programs
An introduction to the myriad cost sharing, rebates, and free assistance programs from New York state’s energy authority.
Explainer
Breaking down the J-51 tax abatement: Who is it for, and how can it help?
Skylight explains the tax break that helps New York City apartments recoup costs for building upgrades
Explainer
“Does this place have good energy?”
What to ask about building emissions before you buy an apartment in New York City
Efficiency
Real Time Energy Management (RTEM) tech offers real savings opportunities
Meet the NYSERDA-backed tech that saved Sherman Terrace more than $53,000 on energy in one year
Going Big
Case Study
A symphony of energy upgrades creates harmony for this midcentury co-op
The Victoria, a large residential building in Union Square, has kept perfect time with LL97 requirements thanks to the forward thinking of its board.
Case Study
At the Harlem River Houses, HVAC gets a history lesson
A historic NYCHA development leaves behind steam heat for clean energy as part of a suite of new upgrades
Cool Tech
Steam heat systems learning new tricks
A legacy boiler company is pioneering boiler replacement with a steam-generating heat pump powerful enough to heat New York’s biggest apartment buildings
Cool Tech
This battery offers New York City apartments a cleaner way to stay cool
Every Electric’s new power bank helps defray the peak demand on the city’s energy grid through efficient energy storage
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Edition 11 January 2026
Case Study
At the Harlem River Houses, HVAC gets a history lesson
A historic NYCHA development leaves behind steam heat for clean energy as part of a suite of new upgrades
Tips and Tricks
Tyrone Thomas: “Stay engaged, even if they’re upset”
Tenant engagement, specialized support, and independent oversight were key to managing the retrofit at Harlem River Houses, even as it remained a bustling, active community
Financing
How nonprofit developers financed Harlem River Houses’ major rehabilitation
To complete the multi-million-dollar retrofit, partners on the project leveraged a mix of public and private funding sources
Cool Tech
A heat pump that slots into the façade and is pack(aged) with benefits
More retrofit projects are shifting toward the use of packaged terminal heat pumps, or PTHP units, as an energy- and cost-efficient way to upgrade a property’s heating system
