Jul 30 2010
NJR Clean Energy Ventures (NJRCEV), a subsidiary of New Jersey Resources (NYSE: NJR), today announced an agreement with CertainTeed Corporation, North America’s leading manufacturer of building products, to lease space atop its fiberglass insulation distribution facility in Berlin, New Jersey, for a rooftop solar system.
Developed with United Solar’s technical expertise, the system will use thin-film laminates to generate 870 kilowatts of clean, renewable energy and help reduce the building’s carbon footprint. United Solar is a leading global manufacturer of UNI-SOLAR® brand light-weight, flexible, thin-film, low impact and low profile solar panels.
“Through innovative solar projects like our partnership with CertainTeed, we are helping to make renewable energy a viable choice for New Jersey’s commercial and industrial businesses and build up the renewable energy marketplace in our state,” said Laurence M. Downes, chairman and CEO of NJR. “We will continue to look for profitable opportunities in the solar and renewable energy markets that will help customers save money, advance the state’s renewable energy goals and grow the business.”
NJRCEV will lease more than 300,000 square feet of roof space from CertainTeed for a period of 20 years and has entered into a concurrent Power Purchase Agreement with the company. As a part of this $5 million project, NJRCEV will install a new roof with state-of-the-art roof materials and thin-film solar laminates, which will provide the dual benefit of weather protection and clean energy. The solar system is expected to provide nearly 90 percent of the building’s electric needs and help transform the facility into a green building by eliminating more than 800 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
“The Berlin solar roof project demonstrates the true strength of partnerships when it comes to mitigating the impact on the environment,” said Peter Dachowski, president and CEO of CertainTeed Corporation. “CertainTeed is wholeheartedly committed to serving as a responsible steward of the environment and our community by incorporating sustainable practices in the design of our buildings and manufacturing of our building products.”
CertainTeed is a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, one of the top 100 industrial companies in the world. Saint-Gobain employs approximately 19,000 people in North America and more than 190,000 people in 64 countries world-wide. Saint-Gobain’s North American companies operate nearly 200 manufacturing facilities in industries as diverse as industrial ceramics and containers, reinforcements and flat glass, abrasives, and building materials.
Investments made by NJRCEV will qualify for a 30 percent federal investment tax credit. Revenues generated from the Power Purchase Agreement will provide additional return on investment. The energy produced also will be eligible for Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs), which can be sold to load serving entities in New Jersey to meet their renewable energy requirements. This rooftop solar system is projected to generate more than 1,000 SRECs annually.
The project is expected to be operational by January 2011, and will create up to 25 direct and indirect jobs in the state.
Source: http://www.njresources.com/