Brooklyn SolarWorks Installs NYC's First Home Battery
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- Brooklyn SolarWorks installed a 19.6‑kWh residential battery storage system on a Chinatown home, pairing it with a rooftop solar canopy.
- Briggs & Stratton’s AccESS platform is the only residential battery system currently permitted for rooftop installation in NYC.
- FDNY granted a Certificate of Approval (COA) to the AccESS system, citing its low heat output and reduced thermal‑runaway risk, which removes the need for extra fire‑suppression measures.
- Brooklyn SolarWorks and Briggs & Stratton spent nearly eight years collaborating with the FDNY and city agencies to shape the permitting process for residential energy storage.
- The project establishes a playbook for residential battery installations across all five boroughs, paving the way for broader adoption of storage alongside rooftop solar.
- A resident comment notes that during Hurricane Sandy they relied on UPS batteries and assumed many NYC lofts already have PowerWalls, highlighting the practical need for home storage amid extreme weather.
Why it matters: NYC residents and solar installers gain a clear regulatory pathway for rooftop battery storage, while the FDNY’s safety standards are shown to be meetable, reducing fire‑risk concerns that previously blocked residential systems. The playbook created could accelerate adoption across all boroughs, bolstering grid resilience during extreme weather.
