Photo: Brooklyn SolarWorks
For the first time, a home battery is live on a New York City rooftop, opening the door for residential energy storage across the five boroughs.
Brooklyn SolarWorks installed a 19.6-kilowatt-hour residential battery energy storage system (BESS) on a home in Chinatown, pairing it with a solar canopy. It’s the first time a residential battery has been permitted and installed within city limits.
That’s a big step for a dense city where rooftop solar is already growing, and where adding storage can take it to the next level.
Why this matters
Brooklyn SolarWorks uses Briggs & Stratton’s AccESS home battery storage platform, which is currently the only residential system permitted for rooftop installation in New York City.
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According to Briggs & Stratton, the battery design produces very little heat and has a reduced risk of thermal runaway. That means it doesn’t need extra fire suppression, cooling, or ventilation systems to meet city requirements.
Sequoya Cross, vice president of energy storage for Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions, said, “Our AccESS system is the only residential ESS to receive a Certificate of Approval (COA) from the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).”
The battery is paired with an existing rooftop solar canopy, a design Brooklyn SolarWorks developed to maximize solar production in tight urban spaces.
A long road, and now a clear path forward
Brooklyn SolarWorks and Briggs & Stratton spent nearly eight years working with the FDNY and city agencies to navigate and help shape the permitting process for residential energy storage in New York City.
New York has some of the strictest fire safety rules for battery systems anywhere, which has slowed adoption. But this project shows that residential storage can meet those standards.
By establishing a clear path for approvals, Brooklyn SolarWorks and Briggs & Stratton have effectively created a playbook for residential battery installations across the five boroughs.
That could open the door for more homeowners to add storage, something that’s becoming increasingly important as energy demand rises and extreme weather puts more pressure on the grid.
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