by Shane Henson — January 13, 2014—The Ross Solar Group, a SunPower “Elite Dealer,” recently announced the completion of a rooftop solar installation for Jetro Cash and Carry at the company’s Hunts Point Restaurant Depot facility in the Bronx, New York.
Jetro is a wholesale cash-and-carry foodservice supplier offering a broad selection of products to independent restaurants, caterers and nonprofits. According to Ross Solar, the company can now boast of having New York City’s largest solar installation with its 1.56-megawatt system.
The system is comprised of 4,760 high-efficiency SunPower solar panels, which Ross Solar calls the most efficient solar panels available on the market today. It is expected to generate in excess of 1.8 million kilowatt hours of clean energy per year. According to estimates provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the system will offset more than 1,212 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, the equivalent of removing almost 7,000 cars from New York’s roads over the next 30 years, Ross Solar adds.
Another benefit of the system is that it is integrated with a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system that allows Con Edison to remotely monitor and control the system. The SCADA system adds an enhanced level of resiliency to Con Edison’s grid, helping to protect the utility’s customers from power outages such as those that occurred during Hurricane Sandy, notes Ross Solar.
“We considered a solar project for several years, but we wanted to make certain that it made financial sense for us as a company, and that the returns met our requirements,” said Jetro Vice President Peter Claro. “Ross Solar Group’s willingness to work within our specific guidelines, as well as their commitment to quality and full transparency were strong factors in our decision to move forward.”
The solar system installation was made possible through awards that Ross Solar received from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority through Governor Cuomo’s NY-Sun initiative.
