PHOTON International The Photovoltaic Magazine

New Jersey‘s Meadowlands District studies 5 MW project

The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission in mid-December instructed its staff to begin a 60-day feasibility study for a 5 MW ground-mounted PV project.

	© source: NJCEP; graphic: PHOTON International
The capacity of a PV system under discussion in New Jersey is almost equal to the combined total capacity of all PV systems installed in that state in 2005.

If completed as a single system, it would be the largest in North America. However, in exploring potential sites and financing options, staff will also consider several projects comprised of commercial rooftop and smaller ground-mounted systems. Commissioners are expected to vote on the report‘s suggestions at their Feb. 22 board meeting.

The Commissionis mandated to pro-tect the environment and develop the economy of the Meadowlands District, which is 5 miles from Manhattan and encompasses parts of Bergen and Hudson counties. The area is rich in wetlands, waterways, and commercial rooftops.

The New Jersey Clean Energy Program offers rebates to PV projects on a tiered basis. As of Jan. 1, 2006, these begin at $5.10 per W for the first 10 kW, falling to $3.90 per W for the next 30 kW, to $3.45 per W between over 40 and 100 kW in system size and $3.20 from over 100 to 700 kW. The rebates ended last year at $3.60 per W for the largest class and up to $5.30 per W for the smallest size class (see PI 11/2005, p. 43). For projects larger than 1 MW, the state‘s Renewable Energy Project Grants and Financing Program offers up to a 20-percent grant and low-interest long-term financing. New Jersey installed 5.6 MW of PV capacity in 2005, more than twice the previous year, bringing the total installed number since 2001 to nearly 9.3 MW.