Croton Energy Group Gazette

 “All the solar news that’s fit to email”

Issue 1.1 - March 2026

Welcome to the first monthly(ish) edition of CEG’s newsletter!  We hope

that you find it helpful/informative about all things great and solar.

The Snow!  It Burns Us!

(Sort of a vampire/Gollum reference). We realize (thank goodness!) the snow is gone, but snow-wise it was such a remarkable winter that we thought we’d, well, remark.  So, for those of you who have solar, some advice if it snows again, or to keep in mind for next winter: Yes, we know that the snow blocks your solar production, and no, you should NEVER try to clear snow off your solar panels!!  Keep in mind that during the winter, when the days are short and the sun is weak (when we can actually get snow), you’re not losing a terrible amount of production anyway (be glad there’s nothing like snow that covers your solar panels in June!).  For not a tremendous amount of reward, there’s just too much risk involved with clearing the snow from the solar panels – risk to life and limb plus risk to the panels themselves.  So, we strongly discourage you from doing so.  Winter is almost over!  Even if it snows yet again before March finally “goes out like a lamb,” LEAVE IT ALONE!  (FYI, the same goes for general cleaning of the panels during the rest of the year – just don’t do it!)

No Tax Credit?  No problem!

We won’t sugar coat it: the elimination of the federal tax credit for solar was a significant blow to our industry.  However, for anyone still thinking about getting solar, the economics remain quite good, due to continuous and significant increases in electric rates – thanks, ConEd (and Central Hudson and Orange & Rockland and NYSEG, etc.!).  Plus, the $5,000 NY State tax credit is still in place.  Please give us a shout if you’d like a new solar proposal for your home or business.

 A Bevy of Batteries

Battery systems for solar are really coming to the fore.  On a recent visit to the RE+ solar trade show in Boston we saw numerous battery offerings from multiple vendors.  (Note: tried-and-true Enphase has a new, excellent version for those of you who are already using their microinverters with your solar.)  Until fairly recently, many battery systems were

based on what’s known as LiNMC lithium batteries (call if you really need to know what that is) – these are the ones which occasionally made the news by bursting into flames!  Today’s systems are primarily based on LFP lithium batteries which are much safer – they also don’t lose their capacity over the years as quickly as LiNMC, and they will last as long as 20 years (LiNMC’s lasted more like 10-12 years).

Interesting note: we recently saw a statistic that a traditional permanent backup generator system (like natural gas or propane) will recoup 60-75% of its value with the sale of your home – we see no reason a battery backup system wouldn’t do the same, especially given its myriad advantages compared to NG/propane, such as: completely silent operation, almost instantaneous switchover in a blackout, no exhaust fumes/carbon monoxide, no maintenance needed, up to twice the lifespan, no cost for fuel (the sun is your fuel!).

EV Peasy Lemon Squeezy

Let CEG install your EV charger(s).  We have state-of-the-art products from Enphase and other manufacturers available.  Installation typically takes less than a day!

Make Money FROM Solar, Even If You Don’t Have Solar!

First and foremost: don’t forget that we give you $$$ for sending people our way.  If you have a friend or relative (or neighbor, colleague, dentist, person-you-chatted-with-at-the-grocery-store…) who’s interested in getting solar at their own property, please refer them to us!  If they end up having CEG install a system, we will send you a check for $599 after their installation is complete and they make their final payment!

Next, please review us!  If you had a Croton Energy Group installation – of solar and/or battery and/or EV charger – we’d really appreciate it if you let the world know.  Even if it was a few years ago.  Obviously, good reviews benefit CEG the most, but all reviews help with our web presence.  So, we’ll reward you for your effort.  No matter what you post or where you post it, let us know and we’ll send you a $25 gift card when your review pops.  Here’s a link to Yelp to help get you started (but don’t forget Google, Facebook, SolarReviews.com, etc., etc.): CROTON ENERGY GROUP - YELP

 Save Money ON Solar (Earth Days Special)

We’re giving a special discount in honor of Earth Day (which occurs every year on April 22^nd): sign up to have solar installed on your home or business between now and April 31st and we’ll deduct $500 from the quoted price.  Get in touch soon to give yourself at least a couple/few weeks to be able to get a proposal and make an informed (and unhurried) decision before 4/31.

An Oldy But a Goody

Finally, Croton Energy Group is pleased to welcome Lee Streisfeld-Leitner to the team as our new Sales and Marketing Manager.  Lee has spent the bulk of his professional life involved in sales and marketing of different sorts, with the past 21+ years in the solar industry (making him one of the most experienced solar professionals in the region).  He is

also an advocate for solar and the environment, having served on numerous related boards and committees, and having helped pass pro-solar legislation in both the county and the state.  For his part, Lee is very happy to be at CEG, with its 15 years of experience and stellar reputation.  Lee has resided up on Croton’s “Red Hill” with his family for the past 22 years (currently with three rescue cats, a ball python and a crested gecko).

​So, if you’d like to stay in the solar loop, register for our newsletter mailing list.  You can sign up on ​our crotonenergy.com website'a Contact Us form​ here, or at our Mailchimp landing page here.

Crotonenergy.com 914-862-4177 info@crotonenergy.com

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