(May 17, 2018 – Newark, N.J.) – Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) announced today that its solar storage project at the Borough of Pennington, N.J. Department of Public Works (DPW) building has been placed in service.  The system will help keep the building operational during an extended power outage and is one of four similar projects that are in service as part of PSE&G’s Solar 4 All® program.

The Pennington DPW solar storage system combines a 1,188-panel, 404-kilowatt-dc solar system with 574 kilowatt-hour Tesla Energy lithium-ion batteries.  During normal operation, the solar system provides electricity directly to the grid and can power about 65 homes annually.  In the event of an extended power outage, the combined solar and battery system works to keep the facility powered and operational.  During the day, the solar panels recharge the batteries and help power the building. At night, the batteries are used to keep the facility running. 

“We found it very easy to work with PSE&G in this effort, and in the long run, the installation of the solar panels will benefit both Pennington Borough and PSE&G," Pennington Mayor Anthony Persichilli said.

The Pennington DPW building houses a garage for vehicle storage and maintenance, administrative offices and fuel pumps for borough-owned vehicles. By providing emergency battery and solar power to the building, the PSE&G solar storage system can help ensure that critical DPW services continue during extended power outages.

“All four of our solar storage projects serve a number of roles,” said Courtney McCormick – vice president renewables and energy solutions, PSE&G.  “First, they are providing critical resiliency to important infrastructure around the state. But they also deliver clean solar energy to our electric customers and also help demonstrate just how useful solar storage technology can be in New Jersey.”

The Pennington DPW storage system is part of a 3 megawatt-dc carve-out in the Solar 4 All program, dedicated to developing projects that integrate solar with other technologies to reduce the impact solar has on the grid or increase reliability and grid resiliency for critical facilities during prolonged power outages. The three other PSE&G solar storage projects in service are located at Hopewell Valley Central High School in Hopewell, N.J.; at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, N.J.; and at the Caldwell Wastewater Treatment Facility in West Caldwell, N.J.  The Hopewell project allows the high school to serve as a warming or cooling station for the public during an extended power outage, while the Cooper University Hospital system provides back-up power for refrigeration needed for vital pediatric medications.  The project in West Caldwell provides critical back-up power to the wastewater treatment plant to keep waste from making its way into local waterways.

Advanced Solar Products of Flemington, N.J., was the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the Pennington project. 

Solar 4 All is a 158 megawatt-dc solar program that utilizes rooftops, parking lots, utility poles and landfills/brownfields for large-scale, grid-connected solar projects.

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PSE&G
Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is New Jersey’s oldest and largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly three-quarters of the state’s population.  PSE&G is the winner of the ReliabilityOne Award for superior electric system reliability.  PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a diversified energy company.