Crews currently working in Camden are in the process of installing 200,000 solar panels all over New Jersey. It's part of PSE&G's Solar 4 All project. 10,000 of the panels will be placed in Camden and Burlington counties.
"The idea behind it is to do away with fossil generation, some of the older technologies, to go with newer, clean, green renewable technologies," Mike Coyle of PSE&G said.
The solar panel installations on poles and street lights, and later on schools, government buildings and solar farms, is part of a $515-million project that will generate 80 megawatts of electricity. Electricity from the poles alone is enough to power 64,000 homes.
"The panel converts the sunlight into electric energy, it's fed directly into our secondary distribution system right on the pole and it goes into our network on the grid and feeds the homes and businesses in the area," Coyle said.
"Positioning is very important. It has to face the south and that way we get the ultimate rays," installation supervisor Roger Schneider said.
When it's complete, New Jersey will have the largest pole-attached solar installation in the world. That'll give the state more solar capacity than any other state in the country except California.
Initially the Solar 4 All program will cost PSE&G customers about 10 cents a month more on their bills, but the company says it will be good for the environment and will help to positively impact our carbon footprint in NJ
Between the manufacturer of the panels, who has promised to make them in New Jersey, and the installer from Cherry Hill-based Riggs Distler, this project has created about 100 new jobs.
And it helps the utility in its effort to comply with the state's mandate that 20% of its sources be from renewable technology by the year 2020.
