DSM, in partnership with GeoPeak and Marina Energy, opened a solar field at their plant in Belvidere, New Jersey. The 6MW solar project, which adopts DSM’s high-efficiency modules, will produce approximately 30-40% of the Belvidere plant's electricity needs at peak production.
In an event for local dignitaries, employees and business executives to switch on the solar field, DSM North American President Hugh Welsh highlighted the benefits of the solar field on the Belvidere plant's energy consumption, the positive impact on the local community's electric grid, DSM's energy leadership in New Jersey and the impact the renewable energy source will have in reducing carbon emissions, furthering DSM's commitment to sustainability and climate change goals.
The solar panels were glazed with DSM's proprietary KhepriCoat® anti-reflective glass coating, the company's flagship product for the solar market. The coating is applied to the cover the glass of the solar modules and strongly reduces the reflection of sunlight. This increases the energy output of these modules up to 4%, improving the efficiency of solar modules and reducing the cost of the energy produced. The 6MW Belvidere solar field project will provide approximately 6,437,020 kW and offset CO2 emissions from the grid by more than 4,563 Metric tons annually. Moreover, nearly 100 trees that were removed to accommodate the field have been replanted and can be viewed on site.
Welsh commented, "DSM is proud to partner with GeoPeak Energy, a prominent solar solutions company and Marina Energy, who financed, owns and will operate the system. These two New Jersey companies helped us to develop and build this solar project and save DSM more than $290,000 annually in electricity costs."
"The DSM solar project in Belvidere, New Jersey, is one of the largest solar installations globally at a supply chain site, and is a testament to supplier sustainability. In New Jersey, it is in the top five largest commercial on-site solar projects completed in 2014," said AJ Javan, Managing Partner of GeoPeak Energy. "With DSM's commitment and support, we developed and delivered this solar project with safety first and in record time. We paired Marina Energy to this project for financing, as part of our turnkey offering to DSM."
"Marina has been proud to work with our partners, DSM and Geo-Peak Energy, on this important New Jersey project. Solar-power is a cost-effective method to generate sustainable energy and significantly lessens the dependence on the electric grid thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said Stephen Poniatowicz, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Marina Energy.