PERTH AMBOY, N.J., May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Public Service
Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) and Matrix Development Group
today marked the completion of two rooftop solar installations at
adjacent Matrix-owned buildings in Perth
Amboy, NJ. The 2.8-megawatt (MW) project is part of
PSE&G's Solar 4 All™ program that is spurring economic growth
in New Jersey and creating jobs
while economically increasing New
Jersey's renewable energy capacity.
Solar 4 All is a two-tiered approach that will over three years
develop 80 solar megawatts – enough power to serve about 13,000
average-sized New Jersey homes.
The program is structured so the financial benefits – the value of
the solar credits (SRECs), federal tax credits and the sale of the
solar energy – are returned to customers by offsetting the overall
cost of the program.
"It's hard to beat energy that's pollution-free and can be
produced and distributed locally, using the grid to benefit as many
people and businesses as possible," said Al Matos, PSE&G's Vice President –
Renewables and Energy Solutions. "We are providing solar power and
developing the New Jersey solar
market in a cost effective way."
The Partner in Charge, Richard F.X.
Johnson, runs Matrix Renewable Energy Services, a division
of Matrix Development Group of Cranbury,
NJ.
"This project represents a significant step forward for
New Jersey in helping to achieve
the state's goal of being a recognized leader in the renewable
energy arena," said Johnson. "As a company steadfastly
committed to energy-efficiency best practices, Matrix is strongly
aligned with the mission of PSE&G's Solar 4 All program to
expand New Jersey's solar capacity
for the benefit of all residents and business owners in the
state."
The Matrix buildings are located at 1000 & 1050 Amboy Avenue
in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
The two solar systems are comprised of 10,395 crystalline
solar panels. The panels cover more than 217,000 square feet of
roof space in total and are connected directly to the electric grid
for the benefit of all PSE&G electric customers. They will
produce enough solar electricity to power about 470 average-size
homes.
"This project exemplifies Solar 4 All's innovative approach to
developing solar resources while preserving open space," Matos
said. "Large warehouse roofs are underserved real estate for solar
development in New Jersey.
By building these rooftop systems we are utilizing
undeveloped space, providing a valuable source of revenue to
building owners unlocking economic value and creating clean solar
power for all of our electric customers to use."
PSE&G is using leading solar energy companies to help deploy
solar systems across the state. enXco, a premier developer of solar
energy projects built the solar systems on the Matrix buildings.
enXco has developed over 100MW of both distributed generation
and utility-scale PV solar systems in the U.S. and Canada. Matrix represents the company's
fifth solar project in New
Jersey.
In addition to the Matrix site, the Solar 4 All program has
built solar systems on the grounds of five Newark Public Schools totaling 2.7MW and a
roof solar system at a warehouse in Bayonne (1.7 MW). PSE&G facilities
also host solar systems. A 0.9 MW system is installed on the roof
of PSE&G's Central Division Headquarters in Somerset, NJ and the Edison Training and
Development Center has a 0.7 MW system, which includes roof,
ground, carport and pole-attached installations.
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 MW)
Linden (3.2 MW), Edison (2.0 MW) and Trenton (1.3 MW). Each are among the largest
solar farms developed in New
Jersey and three are built on remediated brownfields
(Edison, Trenton and Linden).
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 New Jersey, creating 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 six 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 Matrix
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
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Matrix Development Group is a privately held, full-service
real estate investment and development company with offices in
New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Company is active in the
commercial, industrial, urban, residential, golf and hospitality
markets throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. Since
its founding in 1979, the Company has developed real estate valued
in excess of $1 billion and has been
recognized for its leadership by numerous charitable, community and
real estate organizations. For more information on Matrix
Development Group, please contact the Company's Cranbury, New Jersey, office at 732-521-2900
or visit www.matrixcompanies.com
SOURCE Public Service Electric & Gas Company (PSE&G)