Location: Tewksbury, NJ
Sector: Multiunit Residential
System size: 55.08 kilowatts (kW) System Installed: 2007
Module: Sharp
Inverter: Fronius
Annual Energy Output: 62,541 kilowatt-hours (kWh)
Emissions Offset:
Carbon Dioxide: 80,050 lb/yr
Nitrogen Oxides: 71.3 lb/yr
Sulfur Dioxide: .3752 lb/yr

Background

United Cerebral Palsy of Northern, Central and Southern New Jersey (UCP) is an organization with a unique and exemplary mission: To advance the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with disabilities by providing avenues for community involvement, education, employment, and the opportunity to live and grow within their family structure. Solar Energy Systems, LLC (SES), was honored to help realize the UCP mission by integrating 55 kW of solar PV at The Meadows at Oldwick, the new UCP supportive housing community.

The Challenge: Reduce Household Electric Costs without Sacrificing Comfort

Each of the 18 rental units at The Meadows is specially designed to meet the needs of tenants with disabilities and their families. The photovoltaic system engineered by SES gives The Meadows’ residents access to a low-cost energy source that can meet all of those needs.

The SES Solution: Customer Responsive Design and Delivery

"Creating this community was a complicated process but SES made it easy for us," said Brad Kennedy, United Cerebral Palsy's Housing Development Manager. "Including solar energy in our building design enabled us to advance all of the points that are essential to UCP's mission, and as a result we were presented with an award for the Best Green/Sustainable Project at the 2008 New Jersey Governor's Conference. And the SES staff is at the top of the game when it comes to knowing all of the ins and outs of the solar industry. They helped us obtain financial rebates for the system and introduced us to the New Jersey SREC program, which we have benefited from on an annual basis,” stated Mr. Kennedy.

Said Architect Tim McCorry, “We felt that we had a committed team member in SES, always responsive and cooperative, and they brought all parties on board, even our plumbing, mechanical and electrical engineers—some of whom were initially skeptical about the idea of ‘photovoltaics.’  Everyone involved in the project was excited about the panels. It was an excellent integrated design experience,” he concluded.

The Result

The savings enabled by the PV system have allowed The Meadows to consistently come in under cost projections, and the community is at least 40 percent below the HUD (United States Department of Housing and Development) energy allowance for developments of its type.