Mercer County, home to Princeton University, will now also house a solar collector field in West Windsor. 16,500 PV panels will generate 8 million kWh annually, which is about 5.5% of the campus’ electrical needs. This project will help the university reach its goal of returning its carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. This will be one of the largest solar installations at an American college or university and adds to New Jersey’s solar legacy.
Last year, New Jersey solar capacity reached more than 200 MW, spread over 7,578 projects, making it second – only to California – in installed megawatts of solar energy. Last year, the state installed more than 137 MW, in large part due to the efforts of New Jersey’s main public energy utility, PSE&G, which serves almost 75% of New Jersey’s population and runs the prestigious New Jersey solar program, Solar Loan II. The company will spend about $515 million on pole-mounted solar panels and “solar farms”. By 2013, these panels should produce 40 MW of solar capacity. Mercer County will be home to two PSE&G solar farms and another one backed by CJS Investments. Mercer and other counties are likely to see more solar farms due to favorable legislation passed over the last few years which simplify the permitting process for wind, solar, or biomass facilities on industrial and agricultural land.
If you live in Mercer County and are interested in residential solar or commercial solar, let us know and we’ll get you connected to a local installer right away!