Rutgers University Breaks Ground on 1.4 MW PV System (NJ)

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http://www.solarbuzz.com/News/NewsNAPR1215.htm

President Richard L. McCormick of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, today joined commissioners of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and other university officials to break ground for the construction of a seven-acre solar energy facility - the largest system on a single campus in the United States. Photovoltaic solar energy, which converts sunlight into electricity, is one of the cleanest renewable energy sources.

The 1.4 megawatt solar "farm" will generate approximately 10 percent of the electrical demand of the Livingston Campus and reduce the university's carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1,200 tons per year.

"The wide array of research conducted by Rutgers plays an important role in addressing the critical issues of climate change and conservation," said McCormick. "As an institution, Rutgers is a national leader in bringing environmentally sound practices to higher education. By partnering with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to construct this remarkable solar energy facility, Rutgers demonstrates our commitment to responsible environmental stewardship. We believe this project will serve as a model that other institutions can emulate."

Rutgers will fund approximately half the $10 million cost of the project - $5.1 million - but the balance will be subsidized by a rebate through the BPU's Clean Energy Program. The program is aimed at public agencies and institutions to help them defer the cost of implementing solar projects.

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