Background

Solar Energy Systems, LLC, designed, engineered and maintains this 525 kW PV system for The Green Leadership award-winning company, Hartz Mountain Industries, Inc. Under a Solar Power Purchase Agreement (SPPA) between Hartz and its commercial-retail tenant in Secaucus, New Jersey, Hartz is the third-party owner of the system, providing the solar electricity to its tenant at a reduced rate while paying for all up-front and maintenance costs. This system not only allows the tenant to enjoy all the benefits of going solar, but also contributes to New Jersey’s mandate of increasing the amount of renewable energy produced by the state.

The SES Experience

PSE&G’s Solar Loan Program provided financing for the system through Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs). "Just recently, PSE&G received approval to expand our innovative Solar Loan Program by approximately $143 million to finance an additional fifty-one megawatts of solar energy," said Al Matos, PSE&G Vice President of Renewables and Energy Solutions. "Under the program, companies may be eligible for a loan covering forty to sixty percent of the cost of the installation, and unlike other loans, may repay the loan in SRECs.”

In addition to financial support, PSE&G was also instrumental in the construction effort. Due to the larger capacity of the solar project, it was necessary to interconnect the system on the utility side of the customer’s main service disconnect. The whole undertaking required working with local authorities, PSE&G workers and Hartz personnel to ensure the building’s power could be shut down at midnight, then restored immediately upon completion and approval of the work performed, ensuring there were no interruptions for the retail tenants the following morning. “It was a true team effort that could not have been accomplished without commitment and execution from all parties involved.”

The Result 

This 525.69 kW system went into service in December 2010. It will produce 565,807 kWh of solar electricity annually, reducing carbon emissions by over 865 pounds per year.

“Sustainability equals good business, as our returns are consistent with what we expect in other areas of our business,” said Emanuel Stern, President and Chief Operating Officer of Hartz Mountain. “We have over twenty million square feet of rooftops, yet are generating power from less than five percent, and so we are proud to celebrate the step we have taken, and look forward to the future growth of alternative energy that will result from the Solar Energy Advancement and Fair Competition Act enacted earlier this month.”

SES President David Buckner states that, “Hartz Mountain Industries is leading the way to a clean-energy future for New Jersey residents, and importantly, has continued to do so during challenging financial times. Hartz is supporting local companies, large and small, who are growing the clean-tech sector of New Jersey's economy. As a turnkey provider of solar power projects in the Northeast, Solar Energy Systems is proud and incredibly appreciative to be a part of this magnificent leap forward.

Solar Power Purchase Agreements (SPPA)

Commercial SPPA providers can enable businesses, schools, governments and utilities to benefit from predictable, renewable energy.

To learn more about Solar Power Purchase Agreement financing, click here.