New Jersey utility Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G) has announced that its solar-plus-storage project for the Borough of Pennington, N.J., Department of Public Works (DPW) has been placed in service.
The project combines a 1,188-panel, 404 kW DC solar system with 200 MWh Tesla lithium-ion batteries. It is one of four similar projects that are in service as part of PSE&G’s Solar 4 All program, 158 MW DC solar initiative that uses rooftops, parking lots, utility poles and landfills/brownfields for large-scale, grid-connected solar projects.
During normal operation, the solar system in Pennington provides electricity directly to the grid and can power about 65 homes annually. In the event of an extended power outage, the combined solar and battery system works to keep the DPW facility powered. During the day, the solar panels recharge the batteries and help power the building; at night, the batteries are used to keep the facility running. The Pennington DPW building houses a garage for vehicle storage and maintenance, administrative offices, and fuel pumps for borough-owned vehicles.
“We found it very easy to work with PSE&G in this effort, and in the long run, the installation of the solar panels will benefit both Pennington Borough and PSE&G,” says Pennington Mayor Anthony Persichilli.
“All four of our solar storage projects serve a number of roles,” adds Courtney McCormick, vice president of renewables and energy solutions at PSE&G. “First, they are providing critical resiliency to important infrastructure around the state. But they also deliver clean solar energy to our electric customers and also help demonstrate just how useful solar storage technology can be in New Jersey.”
The three other Solar 4 All projects in service are located at Hopewell Valley Central High School in Hopewell, N.J.; Cooper University Hospital in Camden, N.J.; and the Caldwell Wastewater Treatment Facility in West Caldwell, N.J. The Hopewell project allows the high school to serve as a warming or cooling station for the public during an extended power outage, while the Cooper University Hospital system provides backup power for refrigeration needed for vital pediatric medications. The project in West Caldwell provides critical backup power to the wastewater treatment plant to keep waste from making its way into local waterways.
Advanced Solar Products of Flemington, N.J., was the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the Pennington project.
