John,
In NYC you are NOT allowed to use storage batteries in residential buildings (the Fire Dept. considers them bombs waiting to go off). God knows I've put thousands of batteries in commercial buildings, backing up telephone switches and Electrical UPS systems.
Hal,
Without seeing the roofs, I can't tell. The best place to put them is on a Southern exposure. While you can get results from another exposure, usually it's not enough to justify the expense. My problem was maintaining an aisle the FDNY could walk through, clearance around hatches and skylights etc.
I always thought that when I retired I'd do the work myself. Then when I actually did retire, I considered my physical condition and then thought about dealing with the City Buildings department without an Electrical license and I said "screw it". I was offered a pretty good deal though my union and I went with it.
So far, so good. If you have any questions, give me a call and I'll do what I can to answer them.
Sam
