PSE&G and Matrix Development Dedicate New Solar System

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, N.J., July 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) and Matrix Development Group today cut the ribbon on a new rooftop solar installation at a Matrix-owned building in South Brunswick, NJ.   The 3.0-megawatt (MW) project is part of PSE&G's Solar 4 All™ program, the utility's flagship solar effort to help New Jersey reach its solar energy goals while creating jobs and fostering economic development.

Solar 4 All is a nationally recognized program that will over three years develop 80 solar megawatts – enough power to serve about 13,000 average-sized New Jersey homes. The program is structured so the financial benefits – the value of the solar credits (SRECs), federal tax credits and the sale of the solar energy and capacity– are returned to customers by offsetting the overall cost of the program.

In addition to the South Brunswick site, Matrix also hosts a 2.8-megawatt solar system in Perth Amboy that has been in service since January 2011.  Both Matrix projects are part of the "centralized" half of Solar 4 All – PSE&G owns and maintains the grid-connected solar systems and leases the roof space from Matrix.

"We have put more than 43 megawatts of solar capacity into service over the last 18 month, and along the way created good jobs, developed the New Jersey solar market in a cost effective way and helped the environment,"  said Al Matos, PSE&G's Vice President – Renewables and Energy Solutions. "All of this solar power flows into the grid, to provide clean solar energy to all of our electric customers."

The Partner in Charge, Richard F.X. Johnson, runs Matrix Renewable Energy Services, a division of Matrix Development Group of Cranbury, NJ.  

"We are extremely proud of the partnership we've established with PSE&G in New Jersey, where Matrix is committed to energy-efficiency best practices at the more than 10 million square feet of commercial space that we own and manage throughout the state, as well as the buildings owned by clients of our Renewable Energy Services division," stated Johnson. "This solar venture gives us the ability to play a significant role in expanding access to clean energy— an important step toward achieving the state's goal of becoming a recognized leader in the renewable energy arena."

The Matrix building is located at 45 Stults Road in South Brunswick, NJ.  The solar system is comprised of 12,684 crystalline solar panels. The panels cover more than 318,000 square feet of roof space in total and are connected directly to the electric grid for the benefit of all PSE&G electric customers. They will produce enough solar electricity to power about 500 average-size homes.  

"A key Solar 4 All objective is to develop New Jersey's solar assets while also preserving open space," Matos said. "We're accomplishing this by installing solar capacity on utility poles and also by utilizing large warehouse roofs like this Matrix building.  By building these rooftop systems we are conserving open space and providing a revenue stream to building owners while providing clean solar power for all of our electric customers to use."

PSE&G is using leading solar energy companies to help deploy solar systems across the state. Pro-Tech Energy Solutions of Branchburg, NJ developed the Stults Road project.  

"We are thrilled to have been selected from among the many solar companies in New Jersey for this project," said John Drexinger, principal of Pro-Tech Energy Solutions.  "PSE&G and Matrix have shown incredible initiative in helping New Jersey reach its solar energy goals with this installation, leading the way for other companies that are interested in going solar."

In addition to the two Matrix sites, PSE&G has built solar systems at five Newark schools totaling 2.7 MW and a 1.7 MW solar system on a CenterPoint Properties warehouse in Bayonne.  PSE&G has also installed solar systems at it own facilities – a 0.9 MW system at its Central Division Headquarters in Somerset, NJ and a 0.7 MW system at its  Edison Training and Development Center, which includes roof, ground, carport and pole-attached installations.

The utility also has four large ground-mounted solar farms in service on PSE&G-owned properties.  These solar farms are located in Yardville (4.4 MW) Linden (3.2 MW), Edison (2.0 MW) and Trenton (1.3 MW). Each are among the largest solar farms developed in New Jersey and three (Edison, Trenton and Linden) were built on remediated brownfields.

State regulators approved PSE&G's Solar 4 All program in July 2009. The approved program required the utility to make investments to install 80 megawatts of solar power, enhancing the economic growth of New Jersey, creating jobs and vastly increasing the amount of renewable energy capacity in the state of New Jersey. The program's first segment consists of installing up to 40 megawatts of highly distributed pole-attached smart solar units in neighborhoods on utility poles in PSE&G's electric service territory, which includes the state's six largest cities and roughly 300 rural and suburban communities. This is the largest pole-attached solar installation in the world, with the smart solar units connected directly into PSE&G's electric distribution system providing solar generated power to all customers.

The second segment of the Solar 4 All program focuses on 40 megawatts of centralized solar facilities, such as the Matrix system and other solar sites on PSE&G owned or leased properties connected directly to the grid thus benefiting all customers.

Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is New Jersey's oldest and largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly three-quarters of the state's population. PSE&G is the winner of the ReliabilityOne Award for superior electric system reliability.  PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) (NYSE: PEG), a diversified energy company (www.pseg.com).

Matrix Development Group is a privately held, full-service real estate investment and development company with offices in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Company is active in the commercial, industrial, urban, residential, golf and hospitality markets throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. Since its founding in 1979, the Company has developed real estate valued in excess of $1 billion and has been recognized for its leadership by numerous charitable, community and real estate organizations.

For more information on Matrix Development Group, please contact the Company's Cranbury, New Jersey, office at 732-521-2900 or visit http://www.matrixcompanies.com.

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SOURCE Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G)