To many people in New Jersey, TREC and SuSi might sound like characters from a sci-fi movie or a weird comedy group. But for members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, it’s all real and can mean the difference between going to work or collecting unemployment.
Increasingly, the skilled electricians in our organization are working to install large solar assemblies. They are trusted for very large jobs, such as large solar installations placed in landfills and abandoned industrial sites. These projects are part of infrastructure improvements that will bring clean, safe, low-cost, renewable energy to consumers. And they put food on the tables of electrical workers’ families.
The clean energy industry is the key to a brighter future for all. Our members build the racking that supports the solar panels. They place the panels in racks, then take down the units and install inverters that enable the energy produced to power buildings or be sold into the power grid.
But the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities changes the rules in the middle of the game, with dire consequences. They have been providing support for large solar projects through TREC, which stands for Transitional Renewable Energy Certificate. It helped developers who were buying land and risking money for solar projects. Everything was fine. The BPU then decided to abandon TREC and introduce a different program, called the Successor Solar Incentive Program, or SuSi for short. It was a disaster.
SuSi is so inadequate that developers have stopped submitting applications to the BPU for large solar projects. IBEW Area 102, where I am the business director, had more than twice as many members working on major solar projects on any given day under the successful TREC program than under the SuSi has failed – and the gap is expected to widen.
Our area, in Parsippany, covers eight counties in northern New Jersey. There are five other residents in the district; do the math and you understand that far fewer of our members work under SuSi than under TREC – for no good reason.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that some of the projects that are connected to TREC are experiencing supply delays and other disruptions due to this pandemic and other global disruptions. They are in danger of missing the deadline for completing the project set under TREC. The only logical response from the BPU would be to extend the period. But the BPU will not – again, without a valid reason.
One result of these policy changes is that New Jersey is at risk of losing its leadership role in a growing industry.
Solar energy is a $12 billion industry in New Jersey. It employs about 6,000 people, with the potential for many more. Not too long ago, New Jersey was No. 1 in the United States in solar equipment. We’re now eighth and likely to drop a few notches, in no small part due to BPU’s TREC-to-SuSi switcheroo. It’s bad news all around, including the state’s clean energy plans under New Jersey’s big energy plan. The plan calls for an end to fossil fuel dependence by 2050. It’s a worthy goal with an ambition that is in serious danger of not being met as work on large solar projects dries up.
This story doesn’t have to end on a sad note. The Assembly unanimously passed legislation that would extend the timelines for TREC-registered solar projects, which have many facilities in brownfields and landfills. We need the state Senate to pass the companion measure and then Gov. Phil Murphy to sign it into law. We also require the governor to direct the BPU to grant a general extension of business operation days for some TREC-registered projects.
It’s time to stop “fixing” things that weren’t broken and get back to putting solar power to work for the people of New Jersey – and putting people to work on solar power. Labor and management don’t always see eye to eye, but on this matter of great importance to them and to us, and to all of New Jersey, we are completely united.
Our stories may be reprinted online or in print under the Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. We ask that you edit for style or brevity purposes only, provide appropriate comments and a link to our website. Please see our reprint guidelines for the use of photos and graphics.
Does solar energy work in New Jersey?
As one of the few states to have installed more than one gigawatt of solar power, New Jersey is one of the nation’s leading solar energy hotspots. See the article : Solar projects on hold during a global investigation. In fact, the Garden State has installed enough solar power to power more than a quarter of a million homes.
Is solar power available in New Jersey? Current Status of Solar in NJ: New Jersey is the nation’s leader in installed solar PV capacity, with more than 4 gigawatts (GW) from more than 157,000 solar PV systems.
How much does it cost to install solar panels in NJ?
Questions about solar panels in New Jersey As of August 2022, the average cost of a solar panel in New Jersey is $2. This may interest you : How is solar energy generated from the sun ?.88/W. Depending on the size of the 5 kilowatt (kW) solar panel, the average solar installation in New Jersey ranges from $12,240 to $16,560, with the average cost of solar in New Jersey reaching $14,400.
Is it worth getting solar in NJ?
On average, New Jersey homeowners who install solar panels save $20 a month on their energy costs. This equates to savings of $240 per year! In NJ, the average cost to install a solar generator is $16,000.
Do I need a permit to install solar panels in NJ?
Every solar installation, regardless of whether it is on the roof or on the ground, requires a building permit from the building department of your municipality. The permit includes building and electrical applications.
Do solar panels increase home value in New Jersey?
In New Jersey, homes with solar panels can sell for 9.9% more than homes without solar panels. That’s a gain of $32,281 for a median home in the county.
Why is solar energy good for New Jersey?
The main benefits of solar energy are: Cost: Solar will help you stabilize or reduce your energy costs by replacing the electricity you currently buy from your local area with cheaper energy. Cleanliness: A solar system produces zero emission electricity, no greenhouse gases, no pollution and no waste products.
Why a homeowner in New Jersey USA should get solar panels?
Another way to eliminate these unwanted costs is with a solar generator. While the average NJ bill is $109, over the past 10 years, the state’s electricity costs have increased at a rate of 2.2% per year. By going solar, your savings will grow every year over the 25-year life of your solar system.
What is the best energy source for New Jersey?
Natural gas and nuclear power account for nearly all of New Jersey’s electricity generation. In 2020, these two fuels together accounted for 90% of the total electricity generated in both large-scale (1 megawatt or larger) and small-scale (less than 1 megawatt) installations in the country.
How does solar energy work in NJ?
How does a residential solar system work? A solar power system converts sunlight into direct current (DC) power through a series of solar cell modules installed on your roof. An inverter converts this DC power into alternating current (AC) power that can be used in your home.
Is solar power worth it in New Jersey?
On average, New Jersey homeowners who install solar panels save $20 a month on their energy costs. This equates to savings of $240 per year! In NJ, the average cost to install a solar generator is $16,000.
Why a homeowner in New Jersey should get solar panels?
Another way to eliminate these unwanted costs is with a solar generator. While the average NJ bill is $109, over the past 10 years, the state’s electricity costs have increased at a rate of 2.2% per year. By going solar, your savings will grow every year over the 25-year life of your solar system.
Do solar panels increase home value in New Jersey?
In New Jersey, homes with solar panels can sell for 9.9% more than homes without solar panels. That’s a gain of $32,281 for a median home in the county.
How many solar panels do you need for a solar farm?
The SAS solar farm sits on approximately 12 acres near the new Executive Performance Center. There are 10,276 solar panels that generate more than 3.6 million kilowatt hours per year. That’s enough power for more than 325 average-sized U.S. homes.
How much does 1 acre of solar panels make per month? How much do solar farms make per month. Solar farms make between $1200 to $1300 per month per acre, so even a small 2 acre solar farm should make $2500 per month, depending on the location.
How many solar panels can fit on an acre of land?
A set of non-tracking panels can cover 4,000 square meters and produce 940 watts per hour per day on average throughout the year. It would take about 28 such panels to cover an acre.
Is 5 acres enough for a solar farm?
As a general rule, a 1 MWac (alternating current) solar farm requires 4-7 hectares of land. The key difference in that 4-7 acre lot is how much sunlight you get in your area.
How much money can a 100 acre solar farm make?
How much does it cost to rent a solar farm? Landowners who lease their land for a solar farm can earn between $250 and $3,000 per acre per year, according to the top solar land leasing websites.
How many acres of solar power panels do 1000 homes need?
It would take 32 acres of solar panels to meet the needs of 1,000 households, according to a new study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on… It would take 32 acres of solar panels to meet the needs of 1,000 households, according to a new study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden.
Is 5 acres enough for a solar farm?
As a general rule, a 1 MWac (alternating current) solar farm requires 4-7 hectares of land. The key difference in that 4-7 acre lot is how much sunlight you get in your area.
How much money does a 1 acre solar farm make?
Exactly how profitable are solar farms? In general, 1 hectare of solar panels produces about 351 MWh of electricity per year. The actual profit depends on the radiation of the State and the State / region (Peak-sun-hours), but the average is about $ 14,000.
How many acres is needed for a solar farm?
How Much Land Do We Need? We usually require plots of at least 30 to 40 hectares but sometimes we can combine land from nearby landowners if you have smaller plots. Although 100-plus acres of solar panels produce a lot of energy, 30 to 40 acres allow us to build 5 MW solar farms.
What is the best size for a solar farm?
Typically, manufacturers and installers need about 2 hectares (5 acres) of land for 1 megawatt of power, with solar farm sizes ranging from 0.5 MW to 15 MW in scale, and many larger projects in the low or brown country of 30-50. MW.
What is the minimum size for a solar farm?
In general, solar developers will need at least 10 hectares of usable land – or 200 hectares for a limited project. A good rule of thumb is that 1 kilowatt (kW) of solar panels requires 100 square meters of space.
How much space do you need for a solar farm?
How Much Land Do We Need? We usually require plots of at least 30 to 40 hectares but sometimes we can combine land from nearby landowners if you have smaller plots. Although 100-plus acres of solar panels produce a lot of energy, 30 to 40 acres allow us to build 5 MW solar farms.
How much power can a 1 acre solar farm generate?
Exactly how profitable are solar farms? In general, 1 hectare of solar panels produces about 351 MWh of electricity per year. The actual profit depends on the radiation of the State and the State / region (Peak-sun-hours), but the average is about $ 14,000.
How small can a solar farm be?
Solar energy farms can have a capacity of between 1 MW to 2,000 MW. On the other hand, public solar farms are less than 5 MW in size, and it is common to find less than 100 kW.
Why solar panels are not worth it?
What are the main problems with solar energy? Solar panels cannot store electricity, so you will have reduced energy production when it is cloudy and discharge electricity at night. Because of this, most residential solar systems require a solar battery.
What are the 2 main problems with solar energy? Disadvantages of Solar Energy
- Expenses. The initial cost of purchasing a solar device is very high. …
- Weather dependent. Although solar energy can still be collected on cloudy and rainy days, the efficiency of solar panels decreases. …
- Solar Energy Storage is Affordable. …
- Uses a lot of space. …
- Associated with Pollution.
Is there a downside to having solar?
Disadvantages of solar energy include high initial costs, inability to work on every type of roof, and it may be difficult to find a local installation depending on where you live.
Does solar power have any disadvantages?
One of the biggest problems with solar energy is that it comes with high initial purchase and installation costs. This includes phones, batteries, inverters, and solar panels. The cost of solar energy equipment varies depending on where you live and the incentives you qualify for.
What is the biggest problem with solar energy?
Apart from the cost, the one big problem with solar is that the sun does not shine at night, and there is no guarantee that it will shine during the day. This causes several problems, one of which is that you have no power at the end of the day.
What is the biggest problem with solar energy?
A while. One of the biggest problems that solar energy technology presents is that energy is only produced when the sun is shining. That means cloudy nights and days can disrupt supply.
What is the biggest challenge to the use of solar energy?
One of the biggest obstacles facing the solar industry in the past year – and in history – is public opinion about the cost and efficiency of solar. People in general falsely think that solar is more expensive than it really is and that it is not an efficient technology.
Why is solar energy good for New Jersey?
The main benefits of solar energy are: Cost: Solar will help you stabilize or reduce your energy costs by replacing the electricity you currently buy from your local area with cheaper energy. Cleanliness: A solar system produces zero emission electricity, no greenhouse gases, no pollution and no waste products.
Why should a homeowner in New Jersey USA get solar panels? Another way to eliminate these unwanted costs is with a solar generator. While the average NJ bill is $109, over the past 10 years, the state’s electricity costs have increased at a rate of 2.2% per year. By going solar, your savings will grow every year over the 25-year life of your solar system.
What is the best energy source for New Jersey?
Natural gas and nuclear power account for nearly all of New Jersey’s electricity generation. In 2020, these two fuels together accounted for 90% of the total electricity generated in both large-scale (1 megawatt or larger) and small-scale (less than 1 megawatt) installations in the country.
What is the #1 energy source?
Energy Sources United States Petroleum (crude oil and natural gas plant fluids): 28% Coal: 17.8% Renewable energy: 12.7% Nuclear power: 9.6%”
What is the best renewable energy source for New Jersey?
Solar, wind and biomass technologies provide reliable energy while conserving resources and helping to keep our air clean. New Jersey is fast becoming a national leader in the use of renewable energy resources, particularly in the solar energy space.
What alternative energy sources are available in New Jersey?
Such sources include hydro, tidal, geothermal, solar, wind, and sustainably grown and harvested biomass. The state of New Jersey is committed to increasing the supply of renewable energy.
Is solar energy good for the state of New Jersey?
| Country | Average retail price (cents/kWh) |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | 17.24 |
| Delaware | 11.09 |
| District of Columbia | 11.73 |
| Florida | 9.91 |
Is solar good in NJ?
Solar New Jersey The Garden State continues to encourage people to go green with a high Renewables Portfolio Standard, a robust net metering program, major tax credits, and Solar Renewable Energy Certificates. With amazing incentives like these, New Jersey remains one of the best places to visit in the sun.
How does solar energy work in NJ?
How does a residential solar system work? A solar power system converts sunlight into direct current (DC) power through a series of solar cell modules installed on your roof. An inverter converts this DC power into alternating current (AC) power that can be used in your home.
Is it worth getting solar in NJ?
On average, New Jersey homeowners who install solar panels save $20 a month on their energy costs. This equates to savings of $240 per year! In NJ, the average cost to install a solar generator is $16,000.
How solar panels work NJ?
You get one TREC for every 1,000 kWh produced by the solar panels, and each TREC sells for $91.20 (as of November 2021). Solar panels are exempt from the 7% sales tax in NJ, and the increase in the value of your home after installing solar is exempt from property tax.
Why is my electricity bill so high when I have solar panels?
2) You use more electricity than you used to. Solar can reduce the use of solar energy in your home – but if you increase your energy use in the belief that the sun will eliminate it all, your bills will be higher than they were. and before.