Southampton, PA — NewAge Industries recently completed the installation of a one megawatt (MW) rooftop solar panel system, the sixth largest in all of Pennsylvania. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Wednesday, June 8, and the system is now in operation supplying half of the plastic tubing manufacturer’s energy needs.
The 1-megawatt system, which consists of 4,082 solar panels, is the largest roof-mounted solar array in Bucks County and the sixth largest in the state, officials said.
The solar project was financed in part by a $1 million solar energy program grant from Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development. Federal grant dollars of approximately $1.2 million are expected to be received next month. The total project cost was $4.2 million.
“As a responsible manufacturer, we’ve taken a number of green steps over the past several years, but the solar energy project was definitely the most ambitious,” stated Ken Baker, NewAge’s CEO. “It’s a great way to use renewable energy, help our community, and contribute to our bottom line.”
NewAge partnered with Independence Solar, based in NJ for the development and financing of the project and Borrego Solar Systems Inc., based in California, for the design and installation of the system. The solar panels – over 4,000 of them – were made in the U.S. by SolarWorld USA of Hillsboro, Oregon. The racks that support the panels and the inverters, which convert the electrical current, were also manufactured in the U.S.
“We thought it was necessary to buy American made,” he said. “We’re getting money from the state of Pennsylvania and the federal government. We felt, as a consumer, we make the choice.”
The project started last summer with upgrades to NewAge Industries’ roof. Solar panels now cover three-quarters of the rooftop on the 244,000 square foot building located in Southampton, Bucks County, PA.
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