Aberdeen Township Announces Finalization of Solar Power Plans

Aberdeen Township officials recently finalized a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Nexus Energy Solutions of Lawrenceville for a  557,000-KWh solar installation on five township-owned sites, including the municipal building, three pumping stations and Public Works Complex on Lenox Road.

The agreement concludes a selection process that began in May with a request for proposals issued by the Township.

The installation expected to be completed by the end of this year and will not use municipal funds, according to Aberdeen Mayor Fred Tagliarini. The project is anticipated to generate annual savings for taxpayers by supplying approximately 70% of the electricity demand at the five sites, including the Municipal Complex.

“The estimated annual savings will amount to approximately $60,000 initially and reach about $85,000 in year-15, after taking into consideration the escalating cost of power over the contract period,” said Tagliarini. “This solar project is an element of our overall sustainability effort.”

The project will be self-sustaining, township officials say. According to Councilman Greg Cannon, the PPA with Nexus Energy Solutions states that Nexus will pay for all professional fees, infrastructure fees, installation and maintenance costs and the cost of the equipment itself.

"We felt we could find a better way to purchase our energy, whether it involved hybrid vehicles for our township manager and department heads, or solar or turbines for our electrical needs. With the PPA now providing the benefit of a tremendous cost-saving measure, this is a great step forward for Aberdeen in our effort to secure a more sustainable future,” Cannon said.

The Aberdeen installation marks the initial PPA with a municipality for Nexus Energy Solutions, which has to date completed seven projects and has 14 others underway valued at more than $30 million, according to company president Bill Harris. The company, which was spun off as a separate entity from parent Nexus Properties in 2010, also provides clients with such services as energy-saving retrofits for lighting, technologies, and HVAC.

"Aberdeen is a very interesting project because of its multiple sites, and the fact that the Township had the foresight to get the bid package out to take advantage of both competitive trends in the solar industry, and the timing of certain incentives," said Harris. "With the federal 1603 Grant program expiring at the end of the year, we will be able to achieve the five percent investment safe harbor in order to take advantage of the 30% tax grant."

Besides the Municipal Complex, the installation sites as outlined by township engineers CME Associates, include three pumping stations, where under-utilized open spaces will contain ground-mounted solar panels. At the Riverdale Drive Pump Station, the panels are expected to provide more than 90% of the site's electric demand, with even stronger results expected at the Noble Place Pump Station (95% of demand) and the Greenwood Avenue Pump Station (100%).

"There is enough property around Aberdeen's pumping stations to accommodate these installations," said David Samuel, president of CME, who estimates that the installations will save the township $1 million over the 15-year life of the PPA. "The ground-mounted panels that will be utilized at these sites are unique from installations we’ve seen at pumping stations in various other communities.”

The final location is the Public Works Complex on Lenox Road, where a combination of rooftop and canopy panels (the latter installed over recycling areas) is expected to satisfy 100% of the site's electrical usage. At the Municipal Complex on Church Street, which houses township offices and the police department, the installation will encompass a combination of rooftop, vertical mansard surfaces, main entrance canopy, and a raised solar array atop portions of the parking lot that aren't shaded. The installation is expected to provide nearly half of the building’s electric demand.

"We will work closely with CME Associates to maximize the potential of each of the five sites," said Harris, noting that Sharp solar panels will be utilized at all five locations.

With the solar installation agreement in place, CME will also conduct a comprehensive audit of the Municipal Complex’s overall energy usage, including lighting and HVAC systems. "Our goal is to continue to reduce costs and maintain services for our taxpayers,” said Tagliarini. "This is all part of a continued series of efforts to embrace sustainability throughout the township."