![\"Brooklyn](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Brooklyn-SolarWorks-BESS-1-700x933.jpg\")
<\/p>\n By Martin McConnell
\n March 25, 2026<\/p>\n
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New York City\u2019s Chinatown area is now host to the first battery energy storage system (BESS) project within city limits, courtesy of Brooklyn SolarWorks<\/a>.<\/p>\n The newly installed\u00a0AccESS system developed by power equipment design firm Briggs & Stratton<\/a> is the only BESS model permitted for installation on the city\u2019s rooftops. Installed as a new feature on one of the city\u2019s solar canopies, the 19.6-kWh \u201csystem represents a monumental step forward for clean energy and urban resilience,\u201d according to Brooklyn SolarWorks.<\/p>\n Sequoya Cross, VP of energy storage for Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions, says the company has spent years working with the city\u2019s government and fire department to enable the project\u2019s installation. Now, the system is ready to in the Big Apple.<\/p>\n \u201cOur AccESS system is the only residential ESS to receive a Certificate of Approval<\/a>\u00a0(COA) from the Fire Department of New York (FDNY),\u201d Cross says. \u201cThe COA is significant since New York has some of the most stringent fire safety rules for energy storage systems anywhere in the world. Since they produce very little heat and have a reduced risk of thermal runaway, our batteries don\u2019t require additional fire suppression systems or cooling or ventilation measures.\u201d<\/p>\n In order to be permitted for installation within city limits, the companies had to comply with \u201cnotoriously restrictive permitting guidelines,\u201d representatives say, which have cut down previous BESS projects in the city.<\/p>\n An eight-year saga<\/p>\n Called \u201ctrailblazing\u201d by Brooklyn SolarWorks officials, the system took nearly a decade to meet the rigorous electrical safety standards of New York City. Along with Briggs & Stratton, the company aimed to not just clear those hurdles, but \u201cdeveloping the city\u2019s permitting framework surrounding the siting and installation of residential energy storage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis installation is a testament to our commitment to bringing innovative, clean energy solutions to New York City,\u201d says Brooklyn SolarWorks founder and CEO, T.R. Ludwig. \u201cOur team led the charge on rooftop solar in this city a decade ago and now we have the opportunity to lay the groundwork for BESS infrastructure, which the city will need as energy demand continues to rise. We are incredibly proud to have made this groundbreaking project a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n The new project is set to be a major boon to the electrical grid around New York City. As grid strain<\/a> becomes a major issue in cities around the U.S., BESS and other distributed energy resources could be key to stabilizing municipal electrical systems during peak hours.<\/p>\n \u201cEnergy storage, when combined with solar, makes New York City\u2019s homes more resilient and strengthens our city\u2019s grid,\u201d says building owner Bruce Langone. \u201cThis project has laid the groundwork for millions of families in the five boroughs to take control of their energy needs. It\u2019s an honor to host the city\u2019s first residential battery system, and I am grateful to Brooklyn SolarWorks and Briggs & Stratton for their persistence in bringing this vision to life.\u201d<\/p>\n Tags: batteries<\/a>, BESS<\/a>, Briggs & Stratton<\/a>, Brooklyn SolarWorks<\/a>, New York City<\/a>, projects<\/a>, Residential Solar<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Martin McConnell March 25, 2026 New York City\u2019s Chinatown area is now host to the first battery…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":174825,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[71106,14494,71107,98,100,99,26294,9,24,63,9009,71108],"class_list":["post-174824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brooklyn","tag-batteries","tag-bess","tag-briggs-stratton","tag-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn-headlines","tag-brooklyn-news","tag-brooklyn-solarworks","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-projects","tag-residential-solar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174824"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174824\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/174825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=174824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=174824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BESS_Under_Canopy_-1-700x933.jpg\")
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