Project partners have started work on a 3.2 MW floating solar array in the Borough of Sayreville, N.J. New York-based Power Grid Capital LLC is developing the project, with New York-based Monticello Energy Finance LLC providing project financing and Pennsylvania-based RETTEW serving as the engineer and designer. Furthermore, two local educational partners will participate.
According to the companies, the $12 million project will result in the production of more than 4 million kWh of renewable energy annually for the Bordentown Avenue Water Treatment Plant. Following design completion, construction is expected to begin in mid-2016 and be completed before the end of the year.
The purpose of the project is to produce all of the energy needed to operate the water treatment plant on an annual basis, significantly reducing energy costs and creating a “net zero” facility that does not rely on public utilities.
“We specifically look for renewable energy projects like this,” says Power Grid owner Alan Litt. “It benefits the community far into the future and also adds significant training resources for community members.”
While the solar array will advance the use of renewable energy in the region and lessen the impact on the environment, this project has a further positive effect within the community. Middlesex Regional Educational Service Commission and Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools will work with project managers to engage their students in learning technical skills, gaining both training and financial opportunity.
“We’re not just corporations completing a technical job,” says Jason Wert, senior technical engineer with RETTEW. “We’re in this to help local communities with energy sustainability and make a difference in the lives of families, whether that’s through more efficient energy use or training that will benefit their children years into the future.”
