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 Warehousing World - October 2009  |
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Solar Flares Green in Garden State,
With over 20,000 solar panels producing 3.2 megawatts of energy, the company is second to none when it comes to rooftop solar power output among private industries in New Jersey. “Do you know what really makes me happy? A sunny day,” beamed Bill Jayne, president of Hall’s Warehouse Corp., a family-owned business that he operates with brothers Bruce and Dale. That’s because their South Plainfield, New Jersey, USA-based 1.7 million cubic foot cold storage network is fitted with rooftop modules of photovoltaic cells that transform free-falling solar energy into valuable electricity. Though it was decidedly overcast and drizzling on the day when the company’s 1.8 megawatt (DC) solar installation atop the 501 Kentile Road facility was ceremoniously switched on, Jayne was nonetheless smiling. “The system is producing now, even without the [visible] sun,” assured Peter Solomon, director of distributed generated solar for enXco, an Escondido, California-based company that builds and manages renewable energy projects across the USA. As he was speaking, solar light previously captured by silicon semiconductors on Hall’s warehouse roofs was being converted into electricity. Photovoltaic (PV) panels and concentrated solar power (CSP) plants utilize the sun’s power to super-heat fluid which is stored in a large insulated tank for subsequent use. The hot liquid consequently converts water into steam that in turn is converted to electricity via a power plant turbine. The technology, according to enXco, provides one of the most efficient and flexible forms of renewable energy. Since the generation of electricity operates independently from the collection of the sun’s rays, clean power can economically be delivered at any time – day or night. “This, our third installation, furthers the goal to reduce our carbon footprint and allows us to save money through avoided energy costs and the sale of generation,” said Jayne. Combined, Hall’s total solar energy generation capacity is 3.2 megawatts per annum, which is equivalent to approximately 4,800 barrels of oil and provides roughly 10% of the refrigerated warehousing company’s electrical requirements. This makes it the largest private commercial rooftop solar configuration in New Jersey. The fixed-tilt solar array system at Hall’s Kentile Road 501 and 601 facilities, developed and owned by enXco, consists of 20,184 First Solar panels and 2,190 Uni-Solar laminates. They supply output to Hall’s Warehouse Corp. under a developed power purchase agreement on a net metering basis. Infinite Energy and Clean Energy Holdings co-developed the project with Vanguard Energy Partners, LLC as the installer. Operations and maintenance services are provided by enXco. In addition to positively impacting the company’s bottom line, the solar energy savings equate to the further “greening” of the Garden State in environmental terms by reducing CO2 greenhouse gas emissions attributed to fossil fuel-generated electricity. “Through this project, New Jersey is avoiding 2,157 metric tons of CO2. That’s equivalent to 395 cars or the electricity usage of almost 300 homes,” calculated Solomon. Financing for the $9 million project was subsidized with $4.6 million in state and federal incentives, which included rebates and tax credits.
New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program (CEP), which is managed by the Board of Public Utilities (BPU), allocates hundreds of millions of dollars in rebates and incentives to invest in energy-efficient technology and purchase equipment that creates or uses renewable energy. Funded by consumers who are assessed a one percent surcharge on gas and electric bills, the CEP matches an average of 50% of the cost of building solar-electric and other sustainable power production platforms. “The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities is proud to be part of such a significant project,” said BPU President Jeanne M. Fox during the dedication ceremony. “Hall’s has demonstrated their support and commitment to the environment and to the Governor’s Energy Master Plan goals, which call for 30% of the state’s electricity to come from renewable energy by 2020.” This type of public-private cooperation has apparently jump-started New Jersey’s solar power grid. The 87 megawatts of electricity produced from 4,000 solar panels throughout the state places it second in output only to California in the United States; and the Garden State is said to rank sixth or seventh worldwide. Also on hand for the South Plainfield event was Alfredo Matos, vice president for renewables and energy solutions of the utility company that provides Hall’s with most of its power, PSE&G. He commented: “The commercial and industrial segment of our popular $105 million solar loan program is doing what it is supposed to do, bring solar power to New Jersey. We are requesting that our loan program be expanded so that more developers and customers can take advantage of its benefits easier.” Borrowers repay the loans with Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs) or cash. The SRECs have an established floor value of $475 during the loan repayment period. The value will not drop below that amount, but could be higher if the SREC market price goes above the floor price. Utilities such as PSE&G meet their renewable energy requirements in part by buying credits from private generators of renewable energy, such as Hall’s, through an Internet-based trading system. Hall’s reportedly hopes to make approximately $390,000 a year through the system, as well as shave $210,000 off its annual electricity bill of $3 million. Beyond the solar system project, Hall’s has been giving the green light to a myriad of other energy conservation and fossil fuel reduction campaigns. As a refrigerated transporter operating a fleet of 70 trucks, it has geared up participation in the SmartWay Transport Partnership’s energy efficiency program run in collaboration with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “Our drivers limit their highway speed to 65 miles per hour,” said Jayne, whose warehouses are situated just off busy Interstate Route 287, not far from the heavily-traveled New Jersey Turnpike. “Now, if highway congestion could only be reduced, we might get up to 65 miles an hour,” he added with a smile. The EPA program also calls for curtailing engine idling to a maximum of three minutes, since trucks at a standstill with motors humming can burn up to one gallon of fuel per hour. Big steps have also been taken to save warehouse lighting energy by phasing in a T-5 fluorescent system over an 18-month period, and installing motion sensors on fixtures that automatically send signals to turn lights on or off. “We should be able to reduce lighting energy consumption by 50%, and receive pay-back for our investment in one year,” estimated Jayne. It would seem that Kermit the Frog of Sesame Street Muppets fame was mistaken, as being green can be easy after all. |
