Dec 12, 2011

SolarGen Partners with Centrosolar America to Reduce Installation ‘On-the-Roof’ Time and Reduce Risk of Weather Disruption

Edison, New Jersey–December 12, 2011—Today, New Jersey solar energy installer SolarGen and solar manufacturer Centrosolar America announce the completion of a 102 kW rooftop solar power installation at the Salerno-Duane Infiniti car dealership in Denville, New Jersey.

SolarGen was able to reduce the on-site installation time required to one day from a typical three-week time frame by preassembling the 500 Centrosolar PV panel arrays with the racking systems at their warehouse in Easton, Pennsylvania. Once completed, they hoisted the arrays with cranes onto the car dealership rooftop.

The solar project will offset approximately 35% percent of energy costs, saving the dealership more than $200,000 dollars over the next 10 years, not including rebates, incentives and tax depreciation.

“It took us four hours from the time we arrived on-site with the arrays to have them in place on the roof,” says SolarGen Vice President, Ed Hogrelius. Noting that the dealership is open for business six days a week, Hogrelius added, “There were no trucks, tractors, system parts or installation crews on premises, and the dealership was able to conduct ‘business as usual’ without disruption.”

With unpredictable, adverse weather conditions an issue for the solar industry on the East Coast, preassembling solar arrays in a controlled warehouse environment and using cranes to deliver them quickly to rooftops mitigates the risk of weather-related downtime at jobsites and increased labor costs for installers. For the clients, this means less risk of extended construction disruption at their business locations caused by bad weather. “SolarGen has addressed a serious challenge for installers on the East Coast,” said Joe Cunningham, Director of Operations at Centrosolar America. “By using cranes, they have applied a routine construction practice to solving a number of significant problems for solar installers and their clients on the East Coast.”

The PV modules used for the installation are the Centrosolar America’s E-Series line, which are specifically engineered to resist adverse climate conditions including ice, hail, snow, high wind, humidity and intense heat. 500 of the panels were delivered from Centrosolar’s warehouse in Edison, New Jersey directly to the SolarGen warehouse in Annandale, New Jersey where they were pre-assembled for the installation.

United Crane in Kenilworth, New Jersey provided the cranes and the Quantum Clean Energy Solutions in Mendham, New Jersey developed the project, which was financed and is owned by the Salerno-Duane Infiniti dealership.

About Centrosolar America, Inc.
CENTROSOLAR America Inc. is a wholly owned by CENTROSOLAR Group AG, one of the leading publicly traded solar companies in Europe, with revenues of EUR 403mn ($540mn) in 2010 and over 1000 employees in 21 locations. CENTROSOLAR has production facilities in Germany for its PV modules and components like solar glass. Centrosolar America, Inc. has a strong offering in the US market with complete CentroPack PV kits – along with branded PV modules, PV rooftop racking solutions and other balance-of system components like switchgear and inverters. Centrosolar America has full-scale distribution facilities in Arizona, California and New Jersey and serves a national value-added integrator network for the residential and commercial channel. More information at www.centrosolaramerica.com

About SolarGen Energy Partners
SolarGen Energy Partners was formed in early 2010 with the sole purpose of installing ballasted, penetrating & custom rolling Photovoltaic Systems on commercial roofs, floating Photovoltaic Systems and other renewable energy sources. SolarGen Energy Partners is headquartered in Annandale, New Jersey, with a manufacturing pant in Easton, PA. More information at:

www.solargenep.com. For a video of this installation: http://solargenep.com/index-2a.html