New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced 2,439 solar projects have now been installed or are in development in the region.

These projects are part of locally-organised campaigns supported through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Solarize Initiative, which aims to support the state’s goal of sourcing half of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

Launched in 2014, the Solarize Initiative has put a total of 19.5MW of solar energy into place, enough to power 3,241 homes per year.

NYSERDA says campaigns have saved participants approximately $3.6 million (£2.7m) in upfront purchase costs, for an average saving of $1,476 (£1,105) per installation.

It works by bringing together groups of potential solar customers, simplifying the procurement and installation of solar panels and obtaining discounts through aggregated purchases.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said: “New York leads the nation in advancing aggressive clean energy policies and by supporting local projects across the state, our communities are realising the benefits.

“Solarize campaigns are bringing renewable energy to residents and businesses at an affordable price while providing resiliency to the electric grid to ensure a cleaner, greener New York for all.”

All new Californian homes are now required to have solar panels.