The New York Times reports that together the panels could generate enough energy to meet half of the city's demand for electricity at peak periods.
It says the map is the result of a series of flights over the city by a laser-system-equipped airplane. It shows the solar potential of each of the city's more than one million buildings.
It was developed by a team at the City University of New York in partnership with the city and the federal Department of Energy.
The city is scheduled to make the map public on Thursday.
