This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic
newsletter. The Bright Lights in New York Could Be Solar The big
city glow of New York could be coming from more than the bright
lights on Broadway. The Big Apple also is increasingly aglow
with solar power, particularly from rooftop photovoltaic (PV)
solar. Earlier this year, the city unveiled the New York City
Solar Map, a collaborative tool which gives an estimate of solar
photovoltaic potential for the one million buildings in the five
city boroughs. The interactive map, hosted by The City
University of New York (CUNY), is based on information from
flights over the city by an airplane equipped with an aerial
laser system. The device, known as Lidar for "light image
detection and ranging," gathered information on the shape,
angle, size, and shade of rooftops along with the surface
elevations of ground, buildings, and trees. Analysis of the data
showed that the city has a solar potential of 5,800 megawatts
peak output—more that 40% of the city's