by Ann Withanee — January 19, 2011—Glimcher Realty Trust, one of the country’s premier retail REITs, announced plans for the largest single-rooftop solar system in North America to be built on the roof of Jersey Gardens in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
The 4.8MW solar array will generate enough power to offset 11 percent of the electrical consumption of the mall. Jersey Gardens, with 1.3 million square feet of leasable space, is one of the largest properties in Glimcher’s regional mall portfolio.
The addition of a solar array to Jersey Gardens was made possible through a partnership with Gerding Edlen Development, Inc., a leading expert in creating a future in green buildings, and Gerding Edlen Sustainable Solutions, a subsidiary of Gerding Edlen and expert in sustainable development, renewable energy and financing.
To realize this initiative, Glimcher entered into a power purchase agreement with Clean Focus Corporation. Under the agreement, Clean Focus will finance and own the system. All solar renewable energy credits and environmental benefits associated with the system will be owned by Clean Focus. Jersey Gardens will buy the electricity at a predetermined, predictable price,
The Jersey Gardens solar system will be designed, installed, and maintained by SunPower Corporation. With an expected completion date of August 2011, SunPower will begin installing the SunPower T5 Solar Roof Tile system this February.
The T5 Solar Roof Tile is said to be the solar industry’s first non-penetrating rooftop product that combines a high-efficiency SunPower solar panel, frame and mounting system into a single, pre-engineered unit. Tilted at a 5-degree angle, the system will approximately double the energy generated per square meter compared to other systems that are mounted flat onto commercial rooftops.
