ISLAND
BEACH STATE PARK — Typically for beachgoers here, the
sun provides the warmth and the rays for good times and a nice
tan.
Now
it's providing electricity as well to help power a bathhouse
pavilion at the park. The solar system, which provides nearly
30 percent of the building's power needs, will generate the
electricity used to heat water for showers and sinks.
The
project, installed through a partnership of New Jersey Natural
Gas Co., the state Board of Public Utilities, the state Department
of Environmental Protection and GeoGenix LLC., a Rumson solar
energy company, among others, is meant to tout the benefits
of solar power.
"The
fact is there is no single solution to our nation's energy
demands," said Laurence M. Downes, the Wall-based utility's
chairman and chief executive officer, during a ceremony Monday. "That's
why we need to embrace an energy strategy that includes renewable
energy sources and increased efficiency. The (photovoltaic)
system installed here is a step in the right direction."
The
920-square-foot array of 60 solar panels on the pavilion's
roof cost $78,757, of which 70 percent, or $55,000, came from
a rebate from the state's clean energy program. The remainder
was paid for by New Jersey Natural Gas.
The
system, which converts sunlight directly into electricity,
is the same size that could be installed on a large house,
BPU President Jeanne M. Fox said.
It
will eliminate carbon monoxide emissions that would have been
produced if the electricity was generated by traditional power
plants, Fox said. It will also save Island Beach State Park
more than $1,680 a year in electricity bills.
Solar
electric systems help to cut demand for electricity at peak
times and lower wholesale prices, Fox said. At those peak times,
such as on hot summer days when everyone cranks up the air
conditioner, wholesale electricity prices are typically the
highest.
There
are about 400 solar systems installed in residences and businesses
around New Jersey, Fox said. There are 1,000 applications pending
from homeowners and businesses for rebates to help pay for
the cost of solar systems, she said.
"Clearly,
people in New Jersey are starting to learn about the advantages
to them and their economy, but also to the environment, of
putting in solar," Fox said. "It reduces peak demand.
It cuts down on electricity costs. It enhances reliability
and it protects the environment."
Homeowners
should be able to recoup the costs of a system in five to seven
years, according to the BPU.
Savings
come through various means. First of all, by generating their
own electricity, homeowners are buying less power from their
local utility. Plus, any extra electricity produced by solar
that the homeowner doesn't need gets sent to the utility and
the homeowner receives a credit.
Officials
hope the project will attract the interest of some of the 1
million visitors who come to the park's pavilion each year.
A
meter inside will show people how much energy is being generated
by the solar panels.
At
around noon Monday, the meter showed 6,548 watts, which John
Moynihan, owner of Bald Eagle Solar Technology, Bordentown,
said was enough to power six hair driers at once.
The
solar cells sparked the attention of students from Lakewood
Middle School and Toms River High School South and Toms River
High School East who attended the event.
"If
it is conserving energy and it is cheaper than traditional
energy, that is good," said Joanna Godyla, 15, a freshman
at Toms River High School South. "It is more advanced.
We are going into the future."
There
is interest in solar energy at her home in Dover Township. "My
electricity bill is pretty big," she said. "My mom
yells at me for leaving the lights on."
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