Let There Be Light - Rider University, PSE&G Cut Ribbon on New Solar Farm in Lawrence Township

Frequent travelers along Interstate 95 will not doubt have noticed the rows of neatly-arranged solar panels that were recently erected between the highway and the athletic fields at the rear of Rider University’s campus in Lawrence Township.

Those panels – 2,640 in total, spread out over 3.2 acres of university-owned land – will harvest the sun’s rays to generate 740 kilowatts that will go directly into the Public Service Electric & Gas energy grid to power about 125 homes annually.

Rider University and PSE&G officials today (Thursday, Oct. 20) welcomed township, county and state dignitaries for a formal ribbon-cutting at the solar farm, which is part of PSE&G’s Solar 4 All program.

“The Rider University solar project shows how the benefits of solar power extend far beyond just producing clean, carbon-free electricity,” Al Matos, PSE&G’s vice president for renewables and energy solutions, said in explaining that PSE&G will own and maintain the solar array but pay Rider for the use of the land. “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.”   

“This is our first project at a New Jersey university, which really is a testament to Rider’s commitment to solar,” Matos said before a crowd that included many Rider University students.

“This system is one of 24 projects being built as part of PSE&G’s Solar 4 All program by the end of 2012," he said. "We will have approximately 80 megawatts consisting of these 24 projects and also the solar [panels] that you see on utility poles across the state. This is enough clean electricity to power 13,000 homes for the next many, many years annually.”

Thus far, more than 111,000 solar panels have been installed on PSE&G-owned utility poles in over 150 towns throughout the state, including Lawrence Township, according to the utility company.

The solar farm at Rider is the result of more than two years of planning and is evidence of Rider's “continuing commitment to sustainability as well as the spirit of collaboration with other green organizations such as PSE&G,” Mike Reca, Rider’s associate vice president for facilities and auxiliary services, said.

He noted that Rider University – which earlier this year was included in Princeton Review’s “Guide to 311 Green Colleges” – pledged to meet the standards of The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System when President Mordechai Rozanski signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment.  

The university now has three LEED-certified buildings: North Hall, the new academic building that opened last month; and the two West Village residence halls, which opened in 2009.

“This is the beginning for many new initiatives for Rider University in our commitment to sustainability and renewable energy sources. We are in the process of developing different methods – possibly co-generation plants, more solar - that are going to excel us and put us at the top in the future,” Reca said.

Representing Lawrence Township at the ribbon-cutting today were Councilman Michael Powers and Township Manager Richard Krawczun.   

“Lawrence Township has been a leader in the reduction of our dependence on fossil fuels. For those of you who don’t know, our public schools have saved township taxpayers over $1 million through the solar panels that are on our schools,” Powers said as he welcomed those in the crowd to Lawrence Township. “[Rider] is a role-model for universities throughout the nation, and Rider University deserves a round of applause for their efforts.”

New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Commission Joseph Fiordaliso echoed that praise.

“Congratulations to PSE&G on another fine project. But most importantly congratulations to Rider University for helping us revolutionize not only how we generate energy but how we use it,” Fiordaliso said. “New Jersey is a leader internationally in renewable energy, particularly solar. Per square-mile we have more solar installations than any state in the union. We’ve just surpassed California in the number of commercial solar installations in the United States and we are rated among the Top 5 solar markets in the world. That would be a great question of Jeopardy because nobody would ever mention New Jersey, would they?

“We have a great deal to be proud of here. Back in 1999, the legislature designated the Board of Public Utilities as the clean energy office for the state of New Jersey… And back in 1999 we had six solar installations in the state. Today we have over 10,000 solar installations,” he said.

“I used the word ‘ revolutionize’ before. And that’s indeed what we’re doing. I want people 50 years from now to look back at us and say, ‘You know what – those people revolutionized the way we generate energy and the way we use energy.’ Not everybody can put a solar installation on their rooftop. But we can all participate in reducing the amount of energy we use and we can use that energy more efficiently.”

Also speaking at the ribbon-cutting were Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo (D-14th Legislative District), and Andrew Kern, representing Alteris Renewables, the company that developed the solar farm at Rider for PSE&G.

The solar farm was built in less than 80 days using local labor from Lucas Electric and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 269, according to Kern.

Also taking part in the ribbon-cutting were several members of the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders.