WILDWOOD, New Jersey and SHANGHAI, China – Eoplly New Energy Technology Co., a designer and manufacturer of solar products, today announced the completion of 474kW roof-top PV system using 285W Poly-Si Eoplly Modules on the Wildwood Convention Center in Wildwood, New Jersey. Over three years in the making, the Wildwood project was developed by Tioga Energy, a leading solar project developer based in San Francisco, and financed by Energy Finance Company, based in Menlo Park, California. The day after Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation to accelerate New Jersey’s renewable and solar utility requirements, the Wildwood Convention Center revealed the completion of its $1.3 million solar panel project. The project is expected to supply about 24 percent of the venue’s overall energy annually, and will save the convention center tens of thousands of dollars a year in electricity costs.
Of the 1,700 panels on top of the convention center’s roof, the system utilized a portion with Eoplly EP-156P/72-285W modules which will also reduce the carbon footprint of the venue by 179 metric tons of CO2 annually. “We are pleased to have the Energy Finance Company and Tioga Energy as partners who support our brand as Top-Tier solar modules’” said Warren Nishikawa, CEO of Eoplly USA Inc. “This Wildwood Project near the sea shore illustrates that Eoplly products are the highest quality and durable against rain, wind, and salt. Eoplly is bringing down the cost of solar so investors can benefit from the highest returns over 25 years.”
The panels are owned by Energy Finance Company (EFC), which also financed the system. Under a 20-year lease agreement, EFC will sell the electricity from the solar system to the convention center at reduced rate. Tom Byrne, the chairman of the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority (GWTIDA), noted that the solar panels were a success for numerous reasons, the first being the addition of a new roof, which is typically a large expense, as well as the ability for the center to buy more cost-effective electricity. Second, he said, the project made GWTIDA as a leader in economic development. “By taking on this project, and reducing our carbon footprint, getting in with the go-green movement, we are certainly going to be viewed as leaders in this area,” Byrne said. “And we’re happy to take that role.”
Richard Cooper, president of Pro-Tech Energy Solutions, which constructed the roof top solar project at the convention center, said the 474 kilowatt solar power system was an example of New Jersey’s role as a leader in the solar industry. Cooper said that New Jersey was the sixth largest solar market in the world, and is a national leader in solar energy. He added that New Jersey has more commercial rooftops than any other state, and these were an ideal platform for solar energy. “Rooftop projects, like this one, not only have a positive impact on its municipality, like Wildwood, but throughout the state,” Cooper said. “They foster economic growth while improving the environment.”
