NJR Clean Energy Ventures solar array powers township's water treatment plant

David Hutter//March 12, 2020

NJR Clean Energy Ventures, a renewable energy subsidiary of New Jersey Resources, announced Wednesday the addition of a solar array to its portfolio of commercial solar projects.

Located on a retention pond in Sayreville, the 4.4-megawatt photovoltaic system uses a floating platform that allows standard solar panels to be installed on bodies of water. NJR Clean Energy Ventures says clean power is generated by the floating solar facility and is sold to the Borough of Sayreville through a 15-year power purchase agreement; it provides 100 percent of the electricity needed to run the borough’s water treatment plant.

Steve Westhoven, chief operating officer, New Jersey Resources. — Westhoven

“New Jersey Resources is a leader in developing solar power in the state,” Steve Westhoven, president and chief executive officer of New Jersey Resources, said in a press release. “This innovative solar array turns underutilized space into clean energy that supports Sayreville’s energy needs and helps advance the state’s clean energy goals.”

To help offset the power usage at the Sayreville water treatment plant and other borough facilities, the borough issued a request for proposal for a solar installation. With limited space available, a nearby retention pond was selected for the construction of a floating solar system. The project was engineered and permitted by RETTEW and built by Solar Renewable Energy LLC.

The Clean Ventures-owned 4.4-megawatt floating platform photovoltaic system generates clean power which is sold to the Sayreville through a 15-year power purchase agreement, and provides 100 percent of electricity necessary to run the borough's water treatment facility. — The NJR Clean Energy Ventures-owned 4.4-megawatt floating platform photovoltaic system generates clean power which is sold to the Sayreville through a 15-year power purchase agreement, and provides 100 percent of electricity necessary to run the borough’s water treatment facility. – NJR CLEAN VENTURES

After construction was complete, Clean Energy Ventures took ownership and now operates the facility.

The floating solar array consists of 12,762 HT-SAAE solar panels and occupies about 12 acres of the treatment plant’s 71-acre retention pond. The floating solar array stays cooler, which increases output efficiency. Additionally, with a 25-foot buffer on all sides, recreational activities, such as fishing, can continue from the shoreline.

Clean Energy Ventures has invested nearly $900 million in residential and commercial solar projects in New Jersey. Its current portfolio of solar assets is now nearly 300 megawatts—or enough clean energy to power about 27,000 homes annually.