SunDurance Energy and Nautilus Solar Energy to Build Solar Power Facility at William Paterson University
WAYNE, N.J. - William Paterson University (“WPU”), SunDurance Energy, LLC (“SunDurance”), and Nautilus Solar Energy, LLC (“Nautilus Solar”) announced today an agreement to build the largest solar energy facility at a university in the United States. The 3.5 MW solar energy project (“Project”) will comprise of rooftop and parking lot solar installations on the WPU campus in Wayne, New Jersey. The first 3 MW phase is expected to go on-line during the summer of 2010; the remaining 500 kW is expected to go on-line in early 2011.
“Nautilus Solar is proud to support WPU’s leadership in sustainability by supplying low cost clean solar power”, said Nautilus Solar CEO James M. Rice. Nautilus Solar will finance, own and operate the solar facility under a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement (“PPA”), through which WPU will purchase a renewable energy source at a reduced rate without any upfront costs. The solar power system is expected to reduce WPU’s energy costs by $4.3 million over the 15-year term. The Project will be designed and constructed by SunDurance Energy, a leading NJ based solar system installer. Nautilus Solar will fund the installation in part through a loan provided by New Jersey Economic Development Authority.
Stephen Bolyai, WPUNJ’s Vice President for Administration and Finance, states, “This project will be a landmark project for the University. In addition to reducing our energy costs and carbon footprint, the solar facility will provide excellent learning opportunities to our students.” The elevated arrays covering the parking areas allow economically attractive deployment of solar power without the challenges that often accompany such projects in urban and suburban environments. "By creatively using its parking areas to maximize productive space, William Paterson University is expanding the potential for solar energy in New Jersey," said Al Bucknam, CEO of SunDurance Energy. "SunDurance Energy is thrilled to be designing and building this innovative project in collaboration with our financing partner, Nautilus Solar Energy."
“The project will contribute to a reduction of air pollution and improve the air quality in New Jersey, while creating green jobs in the region. We are looking forward to installing similar solar facilities at other schools and universities”, said Laura Stern, President of Nautilus Solar.
Based on the standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, by generating over 3,392,000 kWh of solar energy annually, the WPU solar system will annually displace the equivalent of over 5,369,000 pounds of CO2 emissions, keep over 465 cars off the road, displace the equivalent of over 5,600 barrels of oil, satisfy electricity demand for over 300 households, or reap the benefits of planting over 63,000 trees.
SunDurance Energy and Tioga Energy Awarded Renewable Energy Pilot Program in New Jersey
MORRISTOWN, N.J. – SunDurance Energy and Tioga Energy today announced they have been selected as a team by the Morris County Improvement Authority (MCIA) to develop, install, own, and operate 3.2 MW of solar power systems on 19 Morris County school buildings and county government facilities in 2010. The county will purchase electricity produced by the solar systems through a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Tioga. SunDurance will provide turnkey design and installation services. This first of its kind program will employ $22.3 million in low-interest bonds issued by the MCIA and guaranteed by the county to finance solar projects. The low cost of the bonds, coupled with federal tax incentives available to Tioga as a private developer, will result in inexpensive solar electricity estimated to save the county over $2 million in energy costs.
"Through this program, our participating schools and county facilities will be able to significantly cut their energy bills without incurring any direct out-of-pocket expenses," said Morris County Freeholder William Chegwidden, liaison to the Improvement Authority. “Tioga’s project financing and development expertise, the capability of their New Jersey based integration partner SunDurance Energy, and the compelling economics of the offer put forth by the team made them the clear choice for this exciting project.”
In June 2009, Morris County Improvement Authority received approval from the State Local Finance Board to issue up to $30 million in bonds, guaranteed by the county, to finance a renewable energy pilot program. The initiative calls for renewable energy sources such as solar panels to be installed, on buildings or on the grounds of public schools and municipal facilities. In addition to the county government, the Morris County Park Commission and the Boonton, Mountain Lakes, Parsippany-Troy Hills, West Morris Regional and Morris Hills Regional school districts are participating in the program.
“This innovative public-private partnership puts Morris County on the vanguard of solar power development in New Jersey, already one of the leading states in the use of solar energy nationwide,” said Paul Detering, CEO of Tioga Energy. “We hope to see many other New Jersey communities adopt this creative and cost effective means of deploying solar energy and further contribute to achievement of the state’s ambitious renewable energy goals. Tioga is proud to be chosen by Morris County as a partner in this ground-breaking effort.”
“As a New Jersey based company, we are very excited to be involved in a local project of such scale and extraordinary value to Morris County and the State of New Jersey,” said Al Bucknam, CEO of SunDurance Energy. “It brings jobs, electricity cost savings, and increased energy independence for local government to the region, and is a great example of how government and the private sector can achieve win-win results.”
Through solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), communities can adopt strategic renewable energy development without the high upfront costs and project execution complexities that make solar power projects difficult for most to realize. Under the terms of the MCIA pilot program, Tioga Energy, as the project developer will own, operate and maintain the solar projects, selling the electricity produced by the systems to the County at fixed price. Tioga qualifies for Federal tax incentives which would normally not be available to public entities, and in turn can pass along the savings to the County and provide clean electricity at a lower rate than the cost of retail electricity from the local electric utility.
SunDurance Energy Rutgers Project Featured in Local TV News Coverage
View a video of the local ABC News coverage.
For more information about our Custom Solutions contact your SunDurance representative.
Rutgers University Breaks Ground for Largest Campus Solar Energy Facility in Nation
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – President Richard L. McCormick of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, today joined commissioners of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and other university officials to break ground for the construction of a seven-acre solar energy facility – the largest system on a single campus in the United States.
Photovoltaic solar energy, which converts sunlight into electricity, is one of the cleanest renewable energy sources. The 1.4 megawatt solar "farm" will generate approximately 10 percent of the electrical demand of the Livingston Campus and reduce the university's carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1,200 tons per year.
"The wide array of research conducted by Rutgers plays an important role in addressing the critical issues of climate change and conservation," said McCormick. "As an institution, Rutgers is a national leader in bringing environmentally sound practices to higher education. By partnering with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to construct this remarkable solar energy facility, Rutgers demonstrates our commitment to responsible environmental stewardship. We believe this project will serve as a model that other institutions can emulate."
Rutgers will fund approximately half the $10 million cost of the project – $5.1 million – but the balance will be subsidized by a rebate through the BPU's Clean Energy Program. The program is aimed at public agencies and institutions to help them defer the cost of implementing solar projects.
"We are proud to be a part of Rutgers' commitment to fostering renewable energy in the state of New Jersey," said BPU Commissioner Joseph L. Fiordaliso. "New Jersey's colleges and universities are continually leading the nation in their dedication to innovation on a broad range of issues. By taking advantage of New Jersey's innovative solar financing program to create the largest campus-based solar energy farm in the nation, Rutgers is demonstrating that investment in clean energy is good for the environment, good for the economy and good for the future of this state."
Besides receiving rebates, Rutgers will capitalize on the BPU's Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC) program. SRECs are tradable certificates that represent the clean energy benefits of electricity generated from a photovoltaic system. The SRECs can be sold to electric suppliers to provide a source of revenue that helps the university offset the costs of installing the solar farm.
"This project makes good sense economically and environmentally," said Antonio Calcado, Rutgers' vice president for Facilities and Capital Planning. "The solar array will generate more than 1,500 megawatt hours of electricity in the first year, offsetting the need to purchase power from PSE&G or draw on the capacity of the university's gas and oil-fired cogeneration plant."
According to Calcado, the solar energy project will save Rutgers more than $200,000 in its first year of operation, rising to more than $300,000 in annual savings by the end of the 15-year program.
The more than 7,000 ground-mounted photovoltaic modules comprising the solar farm will be installed by SunDurance Energy of South Plainfield, N.J. SunDurance develops, designs and builds large-scale solar power facilities for private and public entities.
The solar farm will be sited on a parcel of land at the northeast corner of the Livingston Campus in Piscataway, bordered by Berrue Circle, Road 2 and Suttons Lane. It is expected by to be in operation in the spring of 2009.
The solar energy facility is only the latest in a series of cost-saving and environmentally friendly initiatives implemented by Rutgers:
- Rutgers has begun a five-year program to retrofit or replace lighting fixtures. When completed, the university expects to see annual energy cost savings of $4 million to $5 million, and reduce electricity use by more than 42 million kilowatt hours per year.
- Rutgers is replacing 40-year-old underground, high-temperature water lines on the Busch and Livingston campuses with new, energy-efficient pipes. By the end of the project in 2010, Rutgers expects to realize fuel savings of more than $2 million per year.
- The university is implementing a software program at its cogeneration plant that will allow more efficient operation of the facility.
- Rutgers has started a ceiling tile recycling program. Since July 1, the university has recycled more than 45,000 square feet of ceiling tiles and saved more than $10,000 in landfill costs.
- In April, Rutgers captured the "Gorilla Prize" in RecycleMania 2008, by collecting more than 2.7 million pounds of recyclables during the 10-week contest.
- The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has honored Rutgers with the "Gold Achievement Award" for excellence in food organic and traditional recycling programs.
- The EPA named Rutgers "WasteWise Partner of the Year for 2007" for its organics recycling, traditional recycling efforts and Chemical Reclamation Program. During the 2007 reporting period, the university's waste prevention initiatives resulted in more than 15,800 tons of material that was either recycled or reused, saving Rutgers almost $840,000 in landfill costs.
For more information about our Custom Solutions contact your SunDurance representative.
Blueberry Fields Forever: Jersey Pinelands Gets Its First Solar Power Facility
The New Jersey Pinelands is our country’s first national reserve. The region is also the largest body of open space on the Mid-Atlantic seaboard between Richmond and Boston. Its 1.1 million acres make up 22% of New Jersey’s land area. It’s mostly wild but there are certain properties in the Pinelands that may be used commercially.
So when Jersey Construction, which specializes in heavy highway paving and repair work, was looking for a new location for their offices and equipment they bought a former waste disposal area in Winslow Township near Atlantic City and set about upgrading it to their company needs and the larger needs of the Pinelands. In order to make their new location more environmentally friendly to the Pinelands and the world at large, Jersey Construction decided to power the building with solar power, which in turn led it to SunDurance — and the Pinelands’ first-ever solar array.
“I decided to install a solar ground array system at our new maintenance shop and office facility to demonstrate that solar works for businesses such as Jersey Construction,” explains Jersey Construction owner Ted Whitmyer. “I strongly believe in the environmental benefits it creates and that we as a company are doing our part. I am proud that we have taken a leadership role for small businesses such as ours in showing how solar can benefit their operations and do their part for the environment.”
“They are really committed to Pinelands sensitivity and saw solar as a great way to maintain full operations with a light carbon footprint in the area,” explains Jay Price, Executive Vice President of Business Development for SunDurance.
New Jersey’s aggressive program of solar energy incentives also helped, with state rebates covering almost half the costs.
The six-man SunDurance crew, led by general foreman Ambrose Cooper, did some homework before beginning the job, making a careful inspection of a similar solar array in Atlantic City that had been built as part of a previous Conti job, but by a subcontractor. After close study of the array and its mounting was complete, it was off to the Jersey Construction site, set among huge blueberry and strawberry fields, then at the height of the picking season.
“The temperatures soared to about 95 degrees,” Cooper recalls, “and one surprise was how hot the blue panels got when they faced the sun. The preliminary work on each panel was done with them facing down, but they were flipped over to be fitted into their frame segments they got very hot to the touch very quickly.”
Hot weather and hot panels notwithstanding, the installation of the 98 KW solar ground array met all production targets and schedules. The 14,000 square foot array consists of 561 panels mounted on a grid and piers, with the entire array canted at a 20 degree angle to the south to maximize exposure to sun. Each panel produces 175 watts for a total of 125,000 kilowatt hours a year, enough electricity to power 10 average homes annually. Overall, the system will enable Jersey Construction to cover 70 percent of its power needs through solar. Even better, the company will “save” 173,000 pounds of carbon a year, equivalent to reducing carbon emissions by removing 17 cars from the road on an annual basis.
Jersey Construction’s solar array is the first to use Live Data Systems’ patent-pending Sunflow Monitor™ and Facility Intelligence™ energy visualization software solutions for continuous monitoring and diagnosis of all of the facility systems through web-enabled devices from computers to kiosks to cell phones. “Sunflow Monitor is a critical source of reporting, billing and revenue information, and the graphics can even be displayed in a kiosk, so the community can see that solar power really works,” explains Conti Group’s Kushagra Nandan.
The solar array has an expected service life of 25 years, with minimal maintenance. Jersey Construction expects to cover the project costs in less than five years.
The SunDurance crew took about three weeks to build the array, from start to finish. “The way the job was set up made it an ideal circumstance for setting up the array,” recalls Cooper. “It was basically a matter of placement of the solar panel into the UniRac frame and piers. The precision of the settings is particularly impressive — when you look down from the end of a row, every piece is perfectly aligned. This was the first time this SunDurance team had worked together on a project. They did a great job.”
Not every state has its own version of the New Jersey Clean Energy Program, Price points out, but as more states and the federal government add incentives for introducing solar and other alternative forms of power generation, solar energy solutions like the one adopted by Jersey Construction will become ever more attractive to small and medium-sized businesses.
For more information about our Custom Solutions contact your SunDurance representative.