Will reduce strain on local power grid

By: centraljersey.com
HIGHTSTOWN – Peddie School will begin producing solar energy for the first time through the use of solar panels installed on the roof of its athletic center and constructed over a detention basin on campus.
The project is expected to produce 1 million kilowatts per year, more than 20 percent of the energy consumed annually by the school.
Under a power purchase agreement, Evolution Energies, a renewable energy development company in Spring Lake, will purchase the solar panels for installation on school property. The school, in turn, will purchase all of the energy produced by those panels at a cost that is significantly lower than the rate currently paid for electricity.
The entire surface of the Ian H. Graham Athletic Center roof will be covered in solar panels and ground-mount panels will be installed over a detention basin on the portion of campus located in East Windsor.
The project has received approvals from the East Windsor Planning Board, the Mercer County Planning Board and the Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission.
Head of School John Green said the project continues the school’s multi-year commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.
"Allowing the sun to produce more than 20 percent of our electricity is important not only as a cost-saving measure, but as an investment in our planet’s future," he said. "Peddie School knows the importance of responsible citizenship and that includes serving as good stewards to our environment."
Mr. Green said the solar project will reduce the strain on the electrical grid of its Hightstown and East Windsor neighbors during seasons of heavy energy usage.
"Not only do we challenge our students to reduce their impact on our environment, but as an institution we lead by example," he said. "There are sound environmental practices we can implement as a school, but the real change comes from educating our students about the choices they make and their effects on their school, their community and the globe."
Mr. Green also said the school is always exploring initiatives that are "green squared," meaning they lead to a greener environment and also aim to save money.
Peddie’s commitment to environmental best practices includes eliminating the use of serving trays in the dining hall, which once washed over 600 trays after every meal and has resulted in less food waste, and utilizing zero-emissions electric cars for campus security and maintenance departments.
The detention basin portion of the project was designed to prevent interference with water collection and is among the first to install panels over a detention basin, rather than disrupting usable or protected land.
Evolution Energies has been at the center of some of the biggest solar projects in the region, including a 3 megawatt, 25-acre solar farm at the Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania, making the sports facility one of the biggest producers of solar energy in the country. Evolution Energies was also the energy contractor for the panels installed at the New York Jets headquarters and training facility in Florham Park. That project is producing 750,000 kilowatt hours of solar energy each year.
The company will subcontract with Pro-Tech Energy Solutions to perform the installation on the Peddie campus, with engineering services provided by Birdsall Services Group.