Metuchen Sportsplex is the tenant of the property.  Owned by its joint venture partner, an affiliate of The Maven Group, the property was originally classified as a “Brownfield” and another affiliate of the Maven Group completed remediation of the site and built the 70,000 sq. ft. indoor recreation center, which opened in the fall of 2010.

As part of its development agreement with the Borough of Metuchen, The Maven Group moved forward with solar energy in late spring of 2011 to reduce the facility’s carbon footprint and affirm its commitment to renewable energy.

Stuart Schooler, the managing partner of the joint venture, was asked about the firm’s decision to install photovoltaic panels.  ”We evaluate geothermal, photovoltaics and wind energy for every project we develop.  A relatively urban recreational facility sitting atop a former brownfields site is an almost ideal application for solar-generated electricity.  In the long-run it will keep rental costs down for teams that use the fields and provide other practical benefits like reflecting heat off of the roof to reduce the need for air conditioning and extend the life of the roof.”

This solar panel installation isn’t a first for The Maven Group, previously installing solar on their Rockville Ice Rink.  So, they were familiar with most of the benefits.  The project will generate Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SREC). These certificates can be sold on New Jersey’s SREC tracking system and will generate approximately $184,000 in revenue during the system’s first year in operation.

“Every installation requires the collaboration of the local government for zoning and permitting, the owner, the user and [while not technically a requirement,] the public utility.  During and in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, SEW delivered this rooftop system without losing a single panel and completed its interconnection with PSE&G on time, a testament to the real economic benefits of cooperation even in the face of a natural disaster” said Solar Energy World VP, Geoff Mirkin.

Solar Energy World plans to finalize the solar energy system and connect it to the electrical grid within the coming weeks.

Myth # 1- Solar energy is too expensive:
There is an upfront cost to convert your home to solar energy, but that doesn’t mean it is too expensive. In fact, solar has never been more affordable. Depending on your state, there are huge incentives, including tax breaks and Solar Renewable Energy Credits, which can offset some of the upfront cost. The truth is that you can see a return on your investment from Day 1. Locally, the Maryland solar industry has fairly competitive incentives.

Myth # 2 – Solar doesn’t work on cloudy, cold days.
While solar panels work slightly by effectively in direct sun, solar systems work just fine on cloudy days. Consider that Germany, a country not known for its bright, sunny days, is the solar capital of the world. As for the cold? Just because it might be cold, doesn’t mean that there isn’t sunlight. Plus, solar systems actually work better in colder temperatures since the panels can conduct electricity more efficiently in milder weather.

Myth # 3 – With all the advancements in solar energy, I should just wait. Prices will come down.
The time to buy is now. While it may be true that the cost of solar panels might come down, so will the large amount of federal and state incentives. The solar incentives are not going to be around forever, so why not start cutting your electricity bills in half now?

Myth # 4 – I am not going to be in my house long enough to see a return on my investment.
You will still see a return on your investment even if you move out of your house just a few years after you install a photovoltaic solar panel system: it just won’t come as reduced energy bills. Installing a solar system can increase your house value by $20,000 for every $1,000 saved in annual utility costs.

Myth # 5- Solar is hard to maintain.
Solar panel systems that are connected to the grid are easy to maintain. They just need to be rinsed off with water occasionally. The only maintenance they really require is to be kept free of things like dust, debris and snow. In fact solar panels are made to withstand rain, hail, and pretty much anything Mother Nature can throw at it.

In Boston, a team at MIT announced a breakthrough, reducing the scale of solar energy. Just like the first computers took up entire rooms but now fit into your pocket, MIT has produced a solar panel the size and weight of a piece of paper.

The new technology “prints” solar energy cells onto an array of surfaces, including paper and fabric. This drastically reduces size and weight of solar panels, essentially creating portable solar energy sources. While not as efficient as traditional solar panels, the technology, which boasts a low manufacturing cost, will allow people to power individual electronic devices. Not to mention the potential uses for them as the technology gets further refined.

On the other end of the scale, Hawaii started constructing its largest solar energy installation to date. Hoping to create one of the largest solar communities in the U.S., military families at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam will soon be powered by solar energy. In addition to creating 55 green jobs, when finished, the four MW installation is expected to produce more than 5.6 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) and power over 2,000 homes.

And here in the DC Metro area, the Washington Redskins are bringing solar to FexEd field. Officials announced plans for a two MW system that is expected to generate enough power to run the stadium on non-game days and off-set some electricity usage during game days. The photovoltaic solar panel system would span over 800 parking spots. While the league hopes the location will help increase solar visibility to its fans, the solar array will also creatively double as a covered parking area.

The big reason why Jersey can use solar energy is that the state’s energy economy makes renewable power easier to sell. New Jersey gets about half of its power from nuclear plants and imports about 30% power from other states. The bulk of New Jersey’s expanding electricity need to be met by coal and natural gas. All of these factors keep New Jersey’s electricity prices in line with nearby states. Renewable’s prices don’t have to come down as far in price to become competitive.

The state also imposed a renewable energy standard that dictates, by 2020, it will receive 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources.

There were limited energy options for New Jersey. New Jersey generally has flat topography meaning that hydropower isn’t much of an option. Many of the estuaries and rivers that do flow into the ocean in New Jersey have excellent potential as sources of tidal power, but that technology hasn’t yet advanced far enough to allow deployment. Due to the fact that open land is so precious and preserved, New Jersey did not really have many options other than to turn to solar energy, unless it wanted to build a big utility facility. However, in terms of space for solar energy, rooftops are everywhere- enter the photovoltaic solar panel system.

In addition to the political and economic situation of New Jersey the state devised a system based on what are called Solar Renewable Energy Certificates, or SRECs.  The utilities can buy SREC bundles and use them to meet their annual quota of renewable power; falling short will net them a fee. An example of this can be seen from 2009 when it was required that Jersey Central Power and Light and Public Service Electric and Gas obtain 20% of their power from solar. The SREC market acts as a cap and trade system with a maximum value for the SRECs.

Unlike SRECs, selling the credits that your system produces, you can save money by saving electricity. As your system produces electricity and sends excess back to the grid, your meter is running backwards or keeping track of electricity sent. When your system is not producing electricity it is pulling electricity from the grid at no charge if you are using what you contributed at an earlier period. Through this process you can save money on your monthly electricity bills while also receiving money from selling your SRECs credits.

These characteristics make renewable so easy to sell in New Jersey that could not be sold anywhere else due to the limited competitiveness of the renewable market. The Maryland solar industry is attempting to model the state’s policies after regulations found in New Jersey.

Post written by: David Zamostny, Solar Energy World Intern
Citation: http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/07/why-new-jersey-is-2-in-solar-power-and-why-this-isnt-good.ars

VT Senator, Bernie Sanders proposed a project that will place millions of solar power systems on home and businesses in the next decade. Working alongside SunShot, a Department of Energy Initiative, he aims at reducing the price of solar energy so that it can become competitive with coal and other conventional fuels.

Sanders expects his “10 Million Solar Roofs Act of 2011” (S. 1108) to have its first public airing last month at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing.

“This legislation will make it more affordable for families and businesses to install solar, by helping communities reduce the costs associated with solar energy permitting,” Sanders said. “As we lower the cost of solar energy and increase our use of solar, we can create hundreds of thousands of good-paying manufacturing and installation jobs in this country. This bill also sets strong targets for American solar energy production, to ensure we compete vigorously with China and Europe for solar energy jobs.”

Post written by: David Zamostny, Solar Energy World Intern
Information from: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/08/idUS41670750020110608

Source: World Games 2009

Locally, General Motor’s broke ground on an expansion to its White Marsh transmission plant just outside of Baltimore. The addition to the plant, which currently produces hybrid and heavy duty transmissions, will be dedicated to making critical components for electric motors. When the plant opens in 2013, the electric motor plant will be the first of its kind by a major U.S. automaker.

The expansion will include a 1.23MW rooftop photovoltaic solar system. Expected to generate nine percent of the plant’s energy consumption, the system will save approximately $330,000 during its lifetime.

According to GM Vice President Mike Robinson, “GM will offset up to 1,103 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the air per year – equivalent to the emissions from 216 passenger vehicles.”

Leading furniture retailer Ikea also recently announced the installation of solar photovoltaic systems on six of it’s east coast stores, two in Maryland. The Baltimore and College Park locations can expect panels as early as fall of this year. The plan for the two Maryland locations includes 7,840 photovoltaic panels that would offset 1,822 tons of carbon dioxide.

Also on the horizon is a $70 million dollar solar energy farm at a state prison near Hagerstown. The solar energy farm would sit on 50 state-owned acres surrounding the medium-security Maryland Correctional Institution and inmates will tend the grounds and keep the panels clean.

The 20MW farm is still waiting on the go ahead from state regulators. If approved, the project could be completed as early as 2012 and would generate enough energy to power 2,250 homes.

Construction is planned to begin this year with completion by December 2012. The solar energy farm would project enough energy to power 2,250 homes and help meet requirements of a state law mandating that 20 percent of Maryland’s electricity be generated from renewable energy sources by 2022.

Maryland’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Service approves of the project, noting that the photovoltaic solar panel farm would make productive use of the land and provide employment opportunities for inmates in the pre-release system. The installation is a great example of the commercial use of solar energy.

Source: BusinessWeek

The first of these variables involves calculating how much power in watts your household uses on a daily basis. Using your electrical bill and/or a kWh (watt-hours) load tool you can calculate total watts you use per day or month.

The next step would be to calculate the amount of useable sunlight in your area or insolation, when your solar panels will produce their rated voltage. This can be done using a solar calculator to find the tilt and size of a suitable system, and total hours of usable energy or you can use solar insolation table to determine the average hours of sunlight.

Determining the size of the system

To then calculate the size of the system in kW (kilowatts), divide watts-hours by your insolation value. In order to account for average energy losses and inefficiencies you can increase this number by 30%. This will give you the size of the solar energy system needed in kilowatts.

What type of solar panel is right for me?

This all depends on how much energy you need to produce and how much space you have. It is possible to have one bigger solar panel that produces the same watts-hours as six smaller ones. It is also possible that one type of solar panel is more aesthetically pleasing than another. This may be the case with the new SunPower solar panels.

The best way to determine how many solar panels you need would be to have a professional come to your property to survey the proposed area. This is done as part of a solar assessment.  During the solar assessment, you’ll discover all the financial benefits that come along with solar too.

In an April 21 article, the New York Times shared that researchers looked at both homes with photovoltaic systems and homes without in California over an eight-and-a-half-year period ending in mid-2009. This is great news for those concerned that they’ll have to use their solar panels for many years before seeing a return on investment.

If you’re installing solar panels, you may get an even bigger bang for your buck. The study found that homeowners who install solar panels on existing houses get nearly three times the premium of homeowners whose house came with solar panels. You’re investing in a valuable upgrade for your home, and the market value will reflect that.

To read more on the study from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, visit: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/21/study-finds-solar-panels-increase-home-values/?partner=rss&emc=rss