by Shane Henson — June 25, 2012—SunPower Corp. recently announced it has helped Bloomberg achieve its goal of powering its New Jersey facility with reliable, clean and affordable power through the installation of a 1.8-megawatt solar power system.
The eight-acre, ground-mounted solar tracking system is now generating the equivalent of 58% of electricity demand at the 100,000-square-foot main building at Bloomberg’s Skillman, New Jersey, campus, says SunPower Corp. It is the first completed renewable energy project at a Bloomberg facility and more projects will likely be underway.
“Renewable energy development is a core part of Bloomberg’s overall commitment to environmental sustainability,” said Curtis Ravenel, global head of sustainability for Bloomberg.
Bloomberg is buying the power generated from the system at prices below retail rates, providing a long-term hedge against rising power prices with no initial capital investment. The system is owned by a subsidiary of Integrys Energy Services, Inc., which is also selling the solar renewable energy credits and environmental attributes associated with the project. The system is being partially financed through PSE&G’s Solar Loan Program, through which PSE&G offers low-interest loans for solar power development.
The system uses high-efficiency SunPower solar panels with the SunPower T0 Tracker system. The tracker follows the sun’s movement during the day, increasing sunlight capture by up to 25% over conventional fixed-tilt systems while significantly reducing land use requirements.
“The T0 Tracker delivers more solar energy per square meter and greater energy savings than conventional systems, reliably maximizing the clean, renewable solar power generated on site for the next 20 years or more,” said Howard Wenger, SunPower president, regions. “With this system, Bloomberg is achieving significant long-term cost savings on electricity and supporting renewable energy development that is critical to environmental health and energy independence.”
