Solar array for Radio Kingston approved
A community solar array is the latest project being undertaken by Radio Kingston.
During a meeting Tuesday, the city Planning Board unanimously approved a special permit for Radio Kingston Corp. to install and operate a 400-kilowatt photovoltaic solar array on property it owns off of Albany Avenue. It will be on the same property where Radio Kingston’s 300-foot tall broadcast tower is located.
Radio Kingston operates radio station WKNY. The programming is simulcast on AM and FM frequencies.
Kai Nybro, community solar development manager for Sun Common, said his company would install the solar array on approximately 1.25 acres of the 4-acre site. He said the array would be ground-mounted and monitored daily so if anything stopped working properly the company would know about it immediately
“This is for the purpose of exporting that power to off-site members who would benefit from the credits generated,” Nybro said. He said typically in a project like this, Sun Common would sell memberships to the array. In this case, Radio Kingston “has different motivations and are interested in giving the power away to local organizations and members of the community,” Nybro said.
Radio Kingston Executive Director Jimmy Buff said no trees would be cut down to make room for the array. He said there is already open space on the tower site.
“That was part of the impetus, is that we looked at this field and we realized we could do something beneficial for the community with it,” Buff said.
In response to questions from the Planning Board, Nybro said the field is in a flood zone but all the electrical equipment for the array would be above the base flood elevation. He also said a 7-foot tall fence would be erected around the array. The highest point of the actual array would be under 8 feet, Nybro added.
Last month, Radio Kingston received a one-year special permit to move forward with plans to convert a former auto business garage at 695 Broadway in Midtown into a community media center and performance space.