SOMERSET, N.J., March 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Public Service
Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) today marked the completion of
a rooftop solar installation at the utility's Central Division
Headquarters in Somerset, NJ. The
0.9-megawatt system is one of six large solar systems PSE&G is
erecting on company-owned properties as part of its $515 million Solar 4 All™ program.
"The Central Division solar system shows why it makes sense for
PSE&G to be an active player in New
Jersey solar development," said Al
Matos, PSE&G's Vice President – Renewables and Energy
Solutions. "By building these systems on PSE&G-owned
property, leveraging our knowledge of the electric system and
putting our project management skills to work we have installed a
large amount of solar capacity in a very short time and in a very
cost effective way with little impact to customers."
"Through our Solar 4 All program, we have added over 35
megawatts of solar capacity in the state in a little more than a
year," Matos said. "These projects have helped provide stability to
the state's solar market and have made New Jersey a center for renewable energy in
the United States."
The Solar 4 All program is a cost effective way to develop solar
energy. The financial benefits – federal tax investment credits,
sale of the energy and capacity to PJM and the solar environmental
credits (SRECs) are returned to PSE&G electric ratepayers,
which reduces the cost of the program.
The Central Division Headquarters solar system is comprised of
all U.S. made panels: 648 traditional crystalline solar panels and
4,180 Solyndra® cylindrical thin film solar panels. These advanced
technology panels are capable of converting direct, diffuse and
reflected sunlight into electricity by capturing sunlight across a
360-degree photovoltaic surface. The panels generate extra
electricity from the building's new white reflective, "cool roof",
offering a conservation benefit and power generation capability on
the same rooftop.
The panels cover more than 101,000 square feet of roof space and
are connected directly to the electric grid for the benefit of all
PSE&G electric customers. The Central Division Headquarters
solar system will produce enough electricity to power about 155
average-size homes.
Solyndra is among the leading solar panel manufacturing
companies that PSE&G is using to help deploy solar systems
across the state. Solis Partners, a premier developer of solar
energy projects located in Manasquan,
NJ is responsible for the design, engineering and deployment
of both the white cool roof and solar PV systems for the Central
Division Headquarters project.
"This turn-key solar rooftop PV system is an important project
for PSE&G and for New Jersey
residents," added Jamie Hahn,
Managing Director of Solis Partners. "It exemplifies PSE&G's
commitment to transform under utilized rooftops in New Jersey into clean renewable energy sources
while reducing green house gases and creating new jobs in the
Garden State."
In addition to Central Division Headquarters' 0.9 MW rooftop
solar system, PSE&G is building a 0.7MW solar system at its
Edison Training and Development Center facility in Edison, N.J. where roof, ground, carport and
pole-attached systems are installed. The utility also has
four large ground-mounted solar farms in service on PSE&G-owned
properties. These solar farms are located in Yardville (4.4 megawatts) Linden (3.2 megawatts), Edison (2.0 megawatts) and Trenton (1.3 megawatts). Each are among the
largest solar farms developed in New
Jersey and three are built on remediated brownfields
(Edison, Trenton and Linden). There also are four solar systems
built on the grounds of five Newark Public Schools and three additional
roof systems on leased sites in Perth
Amboy and Bayonne.
State regulators approved PSE&G's Solar 4 All program in
July 2009. The approved program
required the utility to make investments to install 80 megawatts of
solar power, enhancing the economic growth of NJ, creating green
jobs and vastly increasing the amount of renewable energy capacity
in the state of New Jersey. The program's first segment
consists of installing up to 40 megawatts of highly distributed
pole-attached smart solar units in neighborhoods on utility poles
in PSE&G's electric service territory, which includes the
state's 6 largest cities and roughly 300 rural and suburban
communities. This is the largest pole-attached solar
installation in the world, with the smart solar units connected
directly into PSE&G's electric distribution system providing
solar generated power to all customers.
The second segment of the Solar 4 All program focuses on 40
megawatts of centralized solar facilities, such as the Central
Division Headquarters system and other solar sites on PSE&G
owned or leased properties connected directly to the grid thus
benefiting all customers.
Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is
New Jersey's oldest and largest
regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly
three-quarters of the state's population. PSE&G is the
winner of the ReliabilityOne Award for superior electric system
reliability. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service
Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) (NYSE: PEG), a diversified
energy company (www.pseg.com).
Want to know what's new at PSEG? Go to
www.pseg.com/getnews and sign up to have our press
releases and weekly environmental commentaries sent right to your
inbox.
Solis Partners is a leading developer and integrator of solar
power systems for commercial, industrial and utility clients. Solis
Partners designs, engineers and constructs leading edge, optimized
solar power systems, enabling customers to meet their long-term
energy needs while reducing operating costs and addressing their
carbon liabilities. Solis is a comprehensive partner, offering the
complete solution for both solar and roofing. Solis Partners is
headquartered in Manasquan, N.J.
For more information, please call (732) 800-0052, or visit
www.solispartners.com.
SOURCE Public Service Electric & Gas Company (PSE&G)