Buffalo Niagara is often known for its green energy initiatives across industry. But it is also a region of great solar technology, growing larger each day. It’s even the home of Solar City.
Solar City is a Tesla-owned company in south Buffalo. It’s a sprawling 1 million sq. ft. site supported by New York State’s Buffalo Billion initiative. They are ramping up production and hiring in Buffalo Niagara, eventually expecting to reach nearly 3,000 workers.
The factory will produce solar panels, specifically to roof residential homes. Production has tested in the California location, and is moving right here in Buffalo Niagara as you’re reading this. The factory puts Buffalo Niagara on the map as a solar technology staple. It’s the a major domino in the solar energy cluster now forming.
Buffalo Niagara universities and colleges are supporting the industry’s increase in workforce, too. Alfred State, in Allegany County, has a burgeoning nano-technology program. Students are prepared for the workforce that is growing in the region. Solar City even found interest in the program, visiting the college and talking to professors.
An early adapter to the solar wave was the Riverview Solar Technology Park, a 200-acre business park located in the Town of Tonawanda. It is a place where real estate development and the natural environment blend seamlessly, as deer, foxes and other wildlife can be found roaming the greenery while a creek meanders through the area. It is a shovel ready oasis among the manufacturing operations that this part of Tonawanda is known for. It's also located within a stones throw of the Peace Bridge to Canada.
A bonus is the solar array that greets you as you enter the park. Riverview is a living solar lab, where the future of solar technology is tested and implemented to improve energy efficiency and energy production for all tenants. The developer of the park, TM Montante Development, has made it a priority to incorporate various solar applications that are utilized throughout Riverview to provide power to their tenants. All buildings within this development are constructed using the latest green construction methods to minimize their environmental impact and reduce energy costs to the tenant. They’re located within a beautiful scene of nature, and truly work to preserve it, too.
In 2014, TM Montante Development completed a new 88,000 sq. ft. facility with advanced solar architecture. The project uses solar panels to generate electricity and provide additional benefits such as shading, and wind and rain protection.
The benefits of solar on a region are endless. And while popular opinion may be to the contrary, Buffalo Niagara is becoming a hub for the innovation and implementation of solar technology. A picture is worth 1,000 words, right?
