Solar Energy World is finishing installing a 312kW solar array with 1,248 LG 250-watt panels at the Metuchen Sportsplex in central, NJ. The solar energy system will supply approximately 34%of the building’s energy needs and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 215 metric tons a year.
Metuchen Sportsplex is the tenant of the property. Owned by its joint venture partner, an affiliate of The Maven Group, the property was originally classified as a “Brownfield” and another affiliate of the Maven Group completed remediation of the site and built the 70,000 sq. ft. indoor recreation center, which opened in the fall of 2010.
As part of its development agreement with the Borough of Metuchen, The Maven Group moved forward with solar energy in late spring of 2011 to reduce the facility’s carbon footprint and affirm its commitment to renewable energy.
Stuart Schooler, the managing partner of the joint venture, was asked about the firm’s decision to install photovoltaic panels. ”We evaluate geothermal, photovoltaics and wind energy for every project we develop. A relatively urban recreational facility sitting atop a former brownfields site is an almost ideal application for solar-generated electricity. In the long-run it will keep rental costs down for teams that use the fields and provide other practical benefits like reflecting heat off of the roof to reduce the need for air conditioning and extend the life of the roof.”
This solar panel installation isn’t a first for The Maven Group, previously installing solar on their Rockville Ice Rink. So, they were familiar with most of the benefits. The project will generate Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SREC). These certificates can be sold on New Jersey’s SREC tracking system and will generate approximately $184,000 in revenue during the system’s first year in operation.
“Every installation requires the collaboration of the local government for zoning and permitting, the owner, the user and [while not technically a requirement,] the public utility. During and in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, SEW delivered this rooftop system without losing a single panel and completed its interconnection with PSE&G on time, a testament to the real economic benefits of cooperation even in the face of a natural disaster” said Solar Energy World VP, Geoff Mirkin.
Solar Energy World plans to finalize the solar energy system and connect it to the electrical grid within the coming weeks.
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