Hartz Mountain opens solar array in Hamilton, New Jersey

Hartz Mountain Industries has begun producing power at its Hartz Solar Hamilton facility, an 8.5 Megawatt (MW) ground-based solar array. Completed in December of 2011, the first ground based solar array by the developer is comprised of over 30,000 solar modules, making it one of the largest solar power systems delivering power in New Jersey and solidifying Hartz Mountain's position as a leading solar power producer in the state. "The impetus for Hartz to develop the ground array was the economic and environmental benefits that stem from the investment in solar energy, including jobs, reduced air pollution, and long term energy security," said Emanuel Stern, president and COO of Hartz Mountain Industries, Inc. "I applaud the Christie Administration and the New Jersey Legislature for continuing to make New Jersey a national leader in solar energy." The ground array is located in Hamilton Township, N.J. near the intersection of the New Jersey Turnpike and I-195. The plot of land is sixty-five acres of land previous zoned for residential development, thirty-four of which is used for solar. This ground array, combined with an existing roof-top solar portfolio atop 13 buildings, brings Hartz's total installed solar generating capacity to 17 MW. Hartz Mountain contracted with Madison, WI based RMT, Inc. to design and construct the array. RMT is a nationally recognized leader in the engineering and construction of renewable energy facilities. The ground array project was financed by TD Bank. The Hartz Solar Hamilton facility comes on line following its standard-setting memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce its carbon footprint. The ground solar array should allow Hartz Mountain to nearly double the greenhouse gas emissions savings it has already achieved. According to EPA, in 2011, Hartz reduced greenhouse gases by 12,574 MTCO2e (metric ton carbon dioxide equivalent). In layman's terms, that's a reduction equivalent to taking 2,466 vehicles off the road per year or the carbon dioxide reduction equivalent to more than 1.4 million gallons of gas.