New York Solar Energy Industries Association presents awards for top PV, thermal and government projects and names Ron Kamen 2011 Solar Industry Champion.

TARRYTOWN, NY – Solar projects across the state from New York City, Long Island, Hudson Valley, Capital Region and Western New York - at locations ranging from city housing and government buildings to a winery and landfill - were recognized by the New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA) with 6KC awards.

"These projects recognize the best and brightest solar projects and individuals in the Empire State," said NYSEIA Executive Director Gail Markets.
NYSEIA President Ron Kamen was recognized as the 2011 Solar Industry Champion.

Kamen, also chairman at EarthKind Energy in Kingston, has served as president of the membership association since 2009 and has more than 20 years of experience in the energy industry. Kamen and the association have been strong supporters of the Solar Jobs Bill, among other statewide policies and initiatives.

Other winners of the 6KC awards presented at the association's annual meeting at Tappan Hill Mansion in Tarrytown on Sept. 21 were:
 Best Solar Thermal Project of the Year – Bright Power of New York, for the BronxPro Real Estate Management University Avenue Consolidated III project. One of the city's largest and most sophisticated solar thermal installations, the project included 92 flat plate solar collectors atop four multi-family affordable apartment buildings within a two-block radius in the Bronx. This system with advanced monitoring helps to keep affordable housing more economical by saving over one-third of the energy that would have been spent on domestic hot water heating at these buildings.

 Best Photovoltaic Project of the Year – BP Power, part of BP Alternative Energy, for the Long Island Solar Farm, a solar energy project at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton. The project will produce and sell enough solar energy to power 4,500 typical Long Island homes under a 20-year power purchase agreement to the Long Island Power Authority. The project demonstrates that large scale solar can be developed outside of the southwestern U.S. in a manner that is respectful of local constituents, as well as the local environment.

 Best Commercial Roof Top Project – Hudson Valley Clean Energy of Rhinebeck for installing a clean energy system at Brotherhood Winery, America's oldest winery in Washingtonville. The 81.7 kilowatt (kW) system installed in November 2010 is helping to offset the electrical needs of the bottling plant by 33 percent and saving approximately 73 tons of CO2 from entering the earth's atmosphere each year.

 Best Ground Mount Project – Eldor Contracting Corp. of Holtsville, for a 50 kW project situated atop the Town of Islip Blydenburgh Landfill in Hauppauge. The power produced from this project will reduce the consumption from onsite methane gas pumps that run mostly throughout the year.

 Best Integrated/Innovative Building -The Radiant Store in Malta for a radiant pool at the Koumanis residence in Saratoga Springs. This project is the first to incorporate solar thermal radiant with a "green" high efficiency pool in the U.S.

 Best Federal Government Project – SunWise Technologies of Kingston for the Department of Veterans Affairs' solar electric installations at facilities in Albany, Buffalo and Syracuse. The three rooftop systems will generate 113 kW DC or almost 125,000 hours of electricity a year, saving $18,000 annually in utility costs and eliminating an estimated 115,000 pounds of CO2 per year.

 Best New York Government Project – Solar Liberty in Buffalo for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) facility project, a 250 kW roof-mounted photovoltaic system providing about 6 percent of the electricity required by the Frontier Garage, one of three bus garages that the NFTA operates in Buffalo. Some 1,100 solar panels are providing on-site generation for the facility and helping to lower greenhouse gas emissions by 150 tons a year.

The second annual 6KC award program is named for 6,000 degrees Celsius, the temperature of the surface of the Sun. NYSEIA created the 6KC Awards to recognize tangible solar successes of specific projects and individuals, not theories or concepts that have yet to reach the surface.


About NYSEIA
The New York Solar Energy Industries Association, founded in 1994, is the only statewide non-profit membership and trade association dedicated solely to advancing solar energy use in New York State. For information, visit http://www.nyseia.org

Media Contacts:
Ron Kamen (917) 453-5740 ron.kamen@earthkindenergy.com
Sandy Frinton (845) 454-3895 NYSolarNews@gmail.com
Gail Markels (917) 364-4760 gail.markels@nyseia.org