Two Ground-Mount PV Systems Completed for N.J. School District

 The PV solar arrays at Central Regional Middle School and Central Regional High School can collectively produce approximately 1.5 MW of zero-emission electricity.

“We expect the system will meet 80 to 90 percent of the district’s total electric needs each year,” said School Administrator Kevin O’Shea. “At the same time, the district is reducing carbon emissions while educating its students on the environment.

“The district estimates it will avoid the release of approximately 19 million pounds of carbon dioxide in the first year of operation,” he added. “Kiosks in each school will enable students, parents and community members to track the savings and energy produced by the system.”

The school district is purchasing all of the output from its respective PV systems at a fixed rate under the terms of a 20-year power purchase agreement with a project company owned by INDU Solar Holdings. INDU is a 50-50 joint venture between Duke Energy Renewables and Integrys Energy Services.

These PV solar projects are examples of the development model announced by the INDU partners and Smart Energy Capital in October 2010. At that time, the companies committed to jointly pursue the development of rooftop and smaller ground-mounted solar projects for customers throughout the United States.

The model provides customers certainty of financing and a faster, more efficient transaction.

The partners continue to pursue several other PV projects in various stages of development across the United States.

Smart Energy Capital, together with its strategic partner, the Dobco Group, developed the PV projects for the school district, which included arranging the sale of Solar Renewable Energy Certificates. INDU financed all of the construction costs for the projects.