New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 620 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Onondaga County

Onondaga County has a population of 467,873. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 96,258 cases in the county.

The county received a grade of B for ozone pollution. For particle pollution — the fine soot and dust that can be breathed deep into the lungs — it received a grade of D.

Federal monitoring recorded 217 days of good air quality and 52 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 4 days rated unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Long-term exposure to air pollution has been linked to certain health conditions, particularly for children and older adults. Where electricity comes from affects how much combustion pollution is produced on the grid.

These figures describe the county as a whole and are not specific to this facility. Sources: American Lung Association – State of the Air (New York); U.S. EPA Air Quality Index.

The story behind this New York renewable energy facility

New York has 567 solar plants in this category, and Green Lakes Solar in Manilus ranks #183 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. It began operating in 2022 and uses solar photovoltaic technology, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity.

Its capacity is 5.0 MW, a megawatt being the most power it can send out at one moment. Last year it produced 6.2 gigawatt-hours of electricity, a gigawatt-hour being a large unit of energy, which is about 620 homes’ worth of use over a year. It runs at 14 percent of its maximum possible output, which is typical of how solar works, since the sun isn’t up around the clock.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 2,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as keeping about 940 tons of waste out of a landfill.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Manilus sits in Onondaga County, a short drive from Syracuse, home to Syracuse University and Onondaga Lake Park along the lakeshore. Green Lakes State Park is also close by, known for its glacial lakes and walking trails.

Local school district

Fayetteville-Manlius Central School District

Common questions

* Homes-powered and emissions comparisons are annual estimates based on national averages from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. “Homes powered” describes a quantity of electricity, not direct service to specific households. How we calculate this.