November 2012
Trending Green

Hartz Ranks Among Top 20 Commercial Solar Power Users

Hartz Mountain Industries is listed among the top 20 commercial solar power users in the US, according to a recent report by the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) and the Vote Solar Initiative. The Secaucus-based real estate firm lists alongside some of America’s most iconic brands and biggest businesses, including Wal-Mart, Kohl’s and IKEA.

Hartz ranked 19th in the report, based on the five solar systems for which Hartz is the direct user of the electricity generated. However, supplementing this total with an additional 10 systems for which Hartz’s tenants are the direct users of the electricity generated would have moved Hartz’s ranking to 9th place, and the addition of Hartz’s 8.5 MW Solar Farm in Hamilton would have increased Hartz’s ranking to 5th place.

Hartz’s solar portfolio now stands at a total of 17.5 MW, annually generating enough electricity to power 2,400 New Jersey homes.

Solar Project Announced at Wakefern Distribution Center

Wakefern Food Corp. and NJR Clean Energy Ventures (NJRCEV), a subsidiary of New Jersey Resources (NJR), begin installation work for a rooftop solar system at Wakefern’s food distribution center in Keasbey. The 2.4 megawatt solar system will supply power to a refrigerated warehouse, helping lower Wakefern’s long-term electricity costs and its greenhouse gas emissions.

NJRCEV will invest $6.9 million to develop and install the state-of-the-art, solar array across the 300,000 square feet of rooftop. The system will be installed by Advanced Solar Products of Flemington and is expected to be operational by the end of December.

“Generation of renewable energy is a natural next step in our commitment to sustainable business practices,” says Joe Sheridan, president and COO of Wakefern.

The solar array is expected to eliminate 2,000 metric tons of carbon-equivalent emissions from the atmosphere.

Pfister Engery Wins 1.7 MW Contract for Piscataway Schools

Hawthorne-based Pfister Energy Inc. wins the contract to construct rooftop solar arrays totaling 1.7 megawatts at five schools in Piscataway.

The first schools undergoing installations are Arbor Intermediate School, Conackamack Middle School, Quibbletown Middle School and Randolphville Elementary. Total energy production across all of the schools will generate nearly two million kilowatt hours (kWh) annually and more than 45 million kWh for the systems’ 25-year lifespan.

The system’s annual production is equivalent to offsetting the carbon output of more than 250 passenger cars. Over the 25-year lifetime, the project will offset the equivalent of more than three million gallons of consumed gasoline. The total project cost is estimated at $4.4 million.

“Based on the design, we anticipate the solar installations to reduce the purchase of electricity by 55 percent district-wide,” says Wayne Pfisterer, Pfister Energy president.

College Dedicates Sharp Sustainability Education Center

Ramapo College dedicates the Sharp Sustainability Education Center at the institution’s Mahwah campus. The center is a demonstration space for sustainability practices and includes classroom laboratories, space to host forums for discussion of and symposia on sustainability issues such as water use, open space, land use and development and alternate energy. It is also the headquarters for the New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability.

Support for the Center aligns with Mahwah-based Sharp Electronics Corporation’s social and environmental interests. One of Sharp’s core values is to contribute to global environmental conservation by creating both energy saving and clean energy-creating technologies. Sharp is a world leader in the production of solar panels and strives to conduct business in an environmentally conscious manner.

Since 1989, Sharp has supported projects at Ramapo College totaling more than $1.63 million.

Vincent Schweikert, Vice President & Publisher
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