2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mary Ingram Schatz (mary@ingramschatz.com), 773-955-2126
Colleen Ryan (cqr@nyserda.org), 866-NYSERDA ext. 3359
Gayle Dougherty (gayle@haggman.com), 978-525-374
Power NaturallySM and BJ's Wholesale Club give local students a lesson on solar energy
Renewable energy partners celebrate retailer's largest solar installation
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK - Power NaturallySM and BJ's Wholesale Club will be teaching fifth-graders from Division Street Elementary School how a roof and the sun can save energy and reduce pollution. The students will visit BJ's Saratoga Club at 3067 Route 50 on Thursday, October 27 at 10 a.m.as part of an event to celebrate the installation of the club's newest and largest solar electric power system.
The 10,488-square-foot system, which covers about 15 percent of the entire roof, consists of 912 photovoltaic (PV) panels. The system will generate more than 100,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, or enough electricity to power 13 homes for a year. The $700,000 project was partially funded and coordinated through Power Naturally, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's (NYSERDA) renewable energy program. Power Naturally, BJ's Wholesale Club and Conservation Services Group's (CSG) Sun Power Electric division worked together to bring the system to life this spring.
All three organizations work with schools and the community to provide education about renewable energy sources. Program representatives will visit the fifth-graders at their school on Wednesday, October 26 to give a lesson about solar electric power and talk about BJ's Wholesale Club's system in Saratoga. On October 27, the students will visit the Saratoga Club and decorate and race model solar-powered cars. Students from the F. Donald Meyers Education Center in Saratoga will build the model solar-powered cars before the event.
BJ's Wholesale Club will place a sign inside the club with an embedded LED display that will show kilowatt-hours and the amount of carbon dioxide emissions kept out of the air. Invited guests will also be able to tour the 100-kilowatt solar electric power system on the Club's roof.
"In addition to helping residents switch to renewable energy, Power Naturally works with businesses throughout the state to help them convert to safer, cleaner and more cost-effective energy sources," said NYSERDA President Peter R. Smith. "We commend BJ's Wholesale Club for their willingness to be a good corporate citizen."
According to BJ's Energy Manager Terry Civic, who oversees a multi-million-dollar annual utility budget, the club's investment in solar energy is one way the retailer can be environmentally responsible while reducing energy costs.
"At BJ's Wholesale Club, we believe that a comprehensive energy management plan must support energy efficiency, commodity purchasing strategies and the application of innovative and environmentally beneficial technologies such as renewable energy," Civic said. "Solar power partnerships like this one are an important component of BJ's overall commitment to reducing energy consumption and preserving the environment for future generations."
Every year, the system is expected to keep pollutants out of the air, including:
- more than 101,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming
- 300 pounds of sulfur dioxide, which creates acid rain
- 150 pounds of nitrogen oxide, which produces smog
The solar electric power plant, which uses PV panels manufactured by Evergreen Solar and a 100-kW inverter by Xantrex Technology, will be owned and operated by Sun Power Electric. Solar electricity from the plant will be sold to BJ's Wholesale Club over a 10-year contract and Sun Power Electric will sell the renewable energy credits (RECs) into the green power market.
"The residential market for PV systems has been booming for years," said John Hoffner, renewables manager for Sun Power Electric. "As one of the nation's earliest adopters of large commercial PV systems, BJ's Wholesale Club is showing that solar electric power is a viable energy solution for businesses too."
The partnership between BJ's Wholesale Club and Sun Power Electric allows the club to purchase cleaner power. Instead of finding and purchasing land for the installation, Sun Power Electric has come up with a standardized installation for "big-box" store roofs and secures the necessary funding to acquire, design and install the solar electric panels.
BJ's Wholesale Club and Sun Power Electric began collaborating on rooftop PV power plants in 1998. Today, clubs in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island have PV installations with an average capacity of 50 to 60 kW.
To learn more about Power Naturally and its renewable energy programs, visit www.PowerNaturally.org or call toll-free 1-866-NYSERDA. About Power NaturallySM
Power NaturallySM has been developed as a logo or brand for all of NYSERDA's renewable energy programs. Most of NYSERDA's renewable energy initiatives are part of the New York Energy $martSM program. All New York Energy $martSM programs are funded by a System Benefits Charge (SBC) paid by electric distribution customers of Central Hudson, Con Edison, NYSEG, National Grid (formerly known as Niagara Mohawk), Orange and Rockland, and Rochester Gas and Electric. NYSERDA, a public benefit corporation established by law in 1975, administers SBC funds and programs under an agreement with the Public Service Commission. New York Energy $martSM programs are designed to lower electricity costs by encouraging energy efficiency as the State's electric utilities move to competition. The programs are available to electric distribution customers (residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial) who pay into the SBC.
About BJ's Wholesale Club
Headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts, BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. is a leading operator of warehouse clubs in the eastern United States. The company currently operates 161 clubs and 83 gas stations in 16 states. For more information about BJ's Wholesale Club, please visit http://www.bjs.com.
About Conservation Services Group
CSG owns and operates solar electric power plants in eight states totaling 496 kW-DC, and have been involved in the design, construction, monitoring and maintenance of these and other systems totaling more than 2.2 MW-DC since 1999. Sun Power Electric, a CSG division, is the nation's first all Photovoltaic (PV) utility and is dedicated to promoting and supporting the production of solar electricity for commercial and industrial facilities, as well as private homes. All CSG solar power plants can be viewed and analyzed at www.soltrex.com. CSG was established in 1984 and founded Sun Power Electric in 1998.
About Evergreen Solar
Evergreen Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: ESLR) develops, manufactures and markets solar power products using the Company's proprietary low-cost manufacturing technologies. The products provide reliable and environmentally clean electric power in global markets. Solar power applications include complete power systems for electric utility customers choosing to generate their own environmentally benign power, as well as wireless power for remote homes, water pumping, lighting and rural electrification. For more information, visit www.evergreensolar.com. Evergreen Solar(R) is a registered trademark and String Ribbon(TM) is a trademark of Evergreen Solar, Inc.
###
|
