Industrial roofs will host New Jersey’s largest community solar project

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has awarded 20.358 MW, or more than 26% of first-round capacity, to solar contractor Solar Landscape as part of the New Jersey Community Solar Energy Pilot Program.

New Jersey community solar

It’s a joint effort: All those solar panels will sit on 1 million square feet of roof space across four industrial sites in the Garden State. The buildings are located in Perth Amboy (pictured above), Teterboro, and Woodridge, and are owned by Duke Realty, the largest domestic-only real estate investment trust in the US.

Solar Landscape says that 51% of the electricity the project generates will be sold to low- and moderate-income households. It will deliver more than 250 million kWh of green electricity over 20 years.

Shaun Keegan, CEO of Solar Landscape, said, according to Solar Power World:

The industrial real estate market — with its massive, often unencumbered rooftop spaces — is critical to the success of the New Jersey Community Solar Energy Pilot Program. These large scale projects mean that energy can be generated remotely, and used by residents all across New Jersey.

We are excited to partner with Duke Realty to bring the benefits of this historic program directly to the community we call home.

As Electrek reported on May 18, New Jersey recently completed its largest solar farm at Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Earle in Tinton Falls, northwest of Asbury Park. It’s a 28.5MW ground-mount project tied directly to the local utility grid.

Electrek’s Take

Just picture it! An expanse of solar panels on those giant industrial buildings. Why can’t we utilize more of that space for either community solar or to power the industrial building itself? The US has no shortage of them. Great plan, New Jersey.

And if you know of some really great industrial building solar projects that might not be as high-profile as, say, Tesla’s Gigafactory, tell us about them in the comments below.