Rider, PSE&G to Cut Ribbon on New Solar Panel Array

Editor's Note: The following is a news release issued jointly by Rider University and PSE&G.

Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) and Rider University will cut the ribbon on a new .74-megawatt (MW) solar farm at the institution’s Lawrence Township campus on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 10 a.m., in the rear of the campus, adjacent to the Rider softball field. Rider is located at 2083 Lawrence Rd. (Route 206).

The project is part of PSE&G’s Solar 4 All program, the utility’s flagship solar effort to help New Jersey reach its solar energy goals while creating jobs and fostering economic development. PSE&G owns the solar system and provides Rider University with a lease payment for the parcel of land it occupies

“The Rider University solar project shows how the benefits of solar power extend far beyond just producing clean, carbon-free electricity,” said Al Matos, PSE&G’s vice president for renewables and energy solutions. “Solar 4 All lease payments can unlock the value of unused parcels of land like this one while also creating good jobs, helping solar-related businesses take root and developing the New Jersey solar market in a cost-effective way.”  

Solar 4 All is a nationally-recognized program that is developing 80 solar megawatts – enough power to serve about 13,000 average-sized New Jersey homes. It is structured so the financial benefits – the value of the solar credits (SRECs), federal tax credits and the sale of the solar energy and capacity– are returned to customers to minimize the cost of the program.

“This project further demonstrates Rider's continuing commitment to sustainability as well as the spirit of collaboration with other green organizations such as PSE&G,” said Mike Reca, Rider’s associate vice president for facilities and auxiliary services. “It is also important for our local and regional community to develop and utilize energy alternatives such as solar power.”

Earlier this fall, Rider opened North Hall, its first newly-constructed academic building since 1988. North Hall was built to meet Silver certification standards by The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction.

Rider pledged to meet the USGBC’s LEED standards when university President Mordechai Rozanski signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, directing that all further new campus construction would be LEED certified. Rider’s West Village residence halls, which opened in fall 2009, were certified LEED Silver shortly after their completion.

The solar system at Rider University is located on a 3.2-acre field in the northwest corner of the campus. The system is composed of ground-mounted crystalline solar panels that are connected directly to the electric grid for the benefit of all PSE&G electric customers. They will produce enough solar electricity to power about 100 average-size homes. 

PSE&G uses leading solar energy companies to help deploy solar systems across the state. Alteris Renewables developed the Rider University project. 

The Rider University project is one of 22 solar installations PSE&G is constructing on warehouses, schools and its own facilities. These projects include four large ground-mounted solar farms, three of which were built on remediated brownfields.

The utility is also installing 40 megawatts of pole-attached solar units on utility poles in roughly 300 urban and suburban communities. This is the largest pole-attached solar installation in the world, with the solar units connected directly into PSE&G’s electric distribution system providing solar generated power to all customers. More than 109,000 pole attached solar units have been installed in more than 150 towns throughout PSE&G’s electric service territory.

“Using a combination of pole attached, land and roof-mounted solar panels, we have put more than 45 megawatts of solar capacity into service over the last two years,” PSE&G’s Matos added. “All of this solar power flows into the grid, to provide clean solar energy to all of our electric customers.”

State regulators approved PSE&G’s Solar 4 All program in July 2009. The approved program required the utility to make investments to install 80 megawatts of solar power, enhancing the economic growth of New Jersey, creating jobs and vastly increasing the amount of renewable energy capacity in the state of New Jersey.