Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) has completed the installation of a 0.9 MW rooftop solar installation on its Central Headquarters located in Somerset in New Jersey.
This would be one of the six massive solar systems, which are to be erected on the properties owned by the company during its $515 million Solar 4 All Program. According to Al Matos, the Vice President of Renewables and Energy Solutions, PSE&G, the company wanted to construct these solar systems on their properties by utilizing their expertise of the electric systems and management skills within a short span in a cost-effective way. Matos further mentioned that their Solar 4 All program has accomplished the addition of a 35 MW solar capacity in the state inside a year. These projects have provided stability to the solar market in the state and also made the state the epicenter of renewable energy in the US. The benefits gained by the program due to the federal tax investment credits, solar environmental credits (SREC) and sale of energy to PJM are returned to the PSE&G Utility consumers.
This solar system consists of 4180 Solyndra cylindrical thin film solar panels and 648 traditional crystalline solar panels, which are capable of converting reflected, direct and diffused sunlight into power by trapping sunlight across a 360° PV surface. Extra electricity is also generated by the panels from the new white cool, reflective roof of the building. The entire 101,000 square foot roof is covered by the panels, which are directly connected to the electric grid for the PSE&G customer’s benefit. It would produce electricity to power over 155 average sized houses. PSE&G normally uses Solyndra’s solar panels, which are considered to be one of the leading solar panel manufacturers in the state. The designing, engineering and implementation of the solar PV systems and the white cool roof are to be done by Solis, a Mansquan New Jersey solar energy project developer.
According to Jamie Hahn, the Managing Director of Solis, this project was of great importance to New Jersey residents and PSE&G alike as it would demonstrate the utility’s commitment for transforming the so far unutilized rooftops in New Jersey into sources of renewable energy leading to creation of new jobs in the state while reducing emission of green house gases.
PSE&G also plans to build a 0.7 MW solar system at the Edison Training and Development Center, which includes carport, roof, ground and pole-attached systems. Four huge solar farms, which have ground mounted systems located in Yardville, Edison, Linden and Trenton in New Jersey, have also been developed. Three more roof solar systems have been installed in the leased lands in Bayonne and Perth Amboy with four solar systems deployed in the Newark Public Schools. Approval was granted to the Solar 4 All program by the State Regulators in July 2009 after the utility had made investments for installing 80 MW solar power, which would lead to New Jersey’s economic growth and add to the renewable energy portfolio in the state. The first phase of the program is the installation of a 40 MW in PSE&G’s utility territories in the form of pole attached solar units. The areas covered would include the six largest cities in the state and approximately 300 suburban and rural communities. The second phase of the program would focus on 40 MW of centralized solar units such as the system in the Central Division Headquarters and other sites, which are either owned or leased by PSE&G.
Source: http:// www.pseg.com/getnews