Suniva, Inc., a U.S. manufacturer of high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon solar cells and modules, today announced that the 250 kilowatt (kW) rooftop solar array at the UPS center in Lakewood, New Jersey is Powered by Suniva. The complete solar installation reduces the facilitys dependence on the local electric grid and is expected to produce 270,000 kW hours annually, providing nearly 30 percent of the buildings annual energy needs and helping more cost-effectively power the UPS facility during nighttime operations.
"Simply put, Sunivas business model and high efficiency modules affords UPS the opportunity to leverage our internal engineering talent and produce projects with excellent ROI," said William Moir, energy programming manager at UPS. "Because the Lakewood facility is a night-intensive operation, well be able to sell the excess energy produced by the Suniva solar array during the day to the utility company. Then, we can purchase additional energy at lower, non-peak rates during the night hours. Its truly a win-win."
The 70,000 square-foot facility uses a system consisting of 1,036 solar panels installed on the facilitys roof space. To fund the project, UPS took advantage of New Jerseys net metering rules, which apply to all residential, commercial and industrial customers of the state's investor-owned utilities. The program offers compensation for net excess generation (NEG). UPS expects the Suniva-powered solar array will generate excess power during the day, allowing UPS to sell the excess energy to the utility.
"UPS devotion to energy efficiency is commendable; its strong internal engineering focus led the company to create facilities that are conducive to utilizing renewable energy sources such as solar," said John Baumstark, CEO of Suniva, Inc. "UPS commitment to clean energy and sustainability is a leading example for many public and commercial organizations and we are proud to be a part of it."
Suniva's high-efficiency modules powered by ARTisun series solar cells contain more than 80 percent U.S. content and are fully "Buy America" compliant. Suniva recently announced its next generation Optimus modules are certified and in production, achieving conversion efficiencies of more than 16 percent at the module level.
