Robert Gerard, managing director of Torcon Energy Services (TES), a corporate member of the Torcon family of companies, announced that the firm has been selected by Monmouth University to develop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on seven buildings located on their West Long Branch campus.
Following a comprehensive qualification and vendor selection process that began in January 2011, Monmouth University has entered into Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with TES to build rooftop PV systems that will generate over 700,000 kWh of power annually. TES will install more than 3,000, 240-watt multicrystalline solar PV modules. TES will provide turnkey design, installation, operation, and maintenance of the solar PV systems. It is anticipated that once engineering is completed, construction of the PV systems will begin in the fourth quarter of 2011.
“Monmouth University is committed to being a national leader in sustainable energy and will continue to implement programs to create a more energy efficient and environmentally responsible environment for our students and employees,” said President Paul G. Gaffney II.
Monmouth University was the first private institution in New Jersey to enter into a voluntary program with the USEPA in an effort to improve the school’s energy, water, and fuel use; waste disposal; and landscaping activities. The University already owns a 454kW solar PV system located on four of the largest buildings on campus and has made tremendous improvements in energy conservation and efficiency including lighting and boiler upgrades throughout the campus.
“We are extremely excited about the opportunity to provide Monmouth University with clean, low cost, long-term solar energy,” said Ben Torcivia, Jr., Torcon’s co-president. “This solar facility follows Monmouth University’s commitment to their Green Campus initiative and is consistent with Torcon Energy Services commitment to “behind-the-meter” solar electric systems for businesses and institutions in New Jersey.”
The TES solar PV development team includes NJ-based firms Birdsall Services Group, who will provide structural and electrical engineering and Pro-Tech Energy Solutions, who will install the PV system.
Torcon Energy Services (TES) develops, designs, manages, constructs, and operates sustainable energy solutions for both private and public facilities. The corporation evolved from Torcon, Inc., a leading construction management and general contracting firm in the Mid-Atlantic States and Puerto Rico. For the past several years, Torcon, Inc. has provided sustainable building and project management services as part of multiple LEED-certified projects in industries that include pharmaceutical, higher education, healthcare, office/retail, manufacturing, and government. McGraw Hill’s New York Construction magazine recently ranked Torcon as the 10th largest green contractor having revenues of over $100 million in green and energy-related projects.