Ciel & Terre USA has announced the completion of a 4.4 MW floating solar project in Sayreville, N.J.
The project was implemented by local developers J&J Solar Power LLC and Solar Renewable Energy LLC, with engineering by RETTEW. According to the partners, the project represents the largest floating solar array installed in North America to date.
In late 2015, with a goal reducing both energy costs and its carbon footprint, Sayreville issued a request for proposals calling for developers to provide bids for a solar installation under a power purchase agreement to offset power use at the water treatment facility and related town facilities. Due to a lack of available land, the town went with a floating solar system at nearby pre-treatment pond.
“We entered into this project knowing that we had limited land available for a solar installation near the water treatment plant, and the opportunity for a floating solar array has exceeded our expectations,” says Dan Frankel, business administrator of the Town of Sayreville. “It’s an ideal approach that makes better use of our pre-treatment pond while dramatically reducing energy costs and offsetting the town’s carbon footprint.”
Ciel & Terre’s Hydrelio “floatovoltaic” system will supply approximately 5 million kWh of solar electricity annually, representing 100% of Sayreville’s energy requirements for its water treatment plant.
“This is the first large-scale project of its kind in the state of New Jersey and will serve as an ideal showcase of the potential and unique benefits of floating solar,” notes Jason Wert of RETTEW. “We expect Sayreville will see immediate and ongoing benefits from this project, starting in the first month.”
Chris Bartle of Ciel & Terre USA adds, “As North American developers, financiers and insurance entities strengthen their comfort with the advantages of floating solar, we expect to see significant rapid growth in the region that parallels the rest of the world.”
