Jersey Gardens to sport one of largest rooftop solar systems in North America

Elizabeth, N.J. -- Glimcher Realty Trust, owner of Jersey Gardens outlet mall in Elizabeth, N.J., said that it has begun the installation for one of the largest single-roof top solar systems in North America.



The 4.8 megawatt solar array will generate enough power to offset 11% of the electrical consumption of the mall.



Jersey Gardens, with 1.3 million sq. ft. of leasable space, features tenants such as Gap Outlet, H&M, Lord & Taylor Outlet, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Nike Factory Store and Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th.



The addition of a solar array to Jersey Gardens was made possible through a partnership with Gerding Edlen Development, and Gerding Edlen Sustainable Solutions, a subsidiary of Gerding Edlen.



“Jersey Gardens is already known as a premier international shopping destination and has been an innovator in sustainability. We are proud to be working alongside Gerding Edlen to create a model for clean and effective energy development and management,” said Marshall Loeb, president and COO, Glimcher Realty Trust.



Glimcher entered into a power purchase agreement with Clean Focus Corp., which will finance and own the system. All solar renewable energy credits and environmental benefits associated with the system will be owned by Clean Focus. Jersey Gardens will buy the electricity at a predetermined, predictable price, providing a long-term hedge against rising power prices with no initial capital investment.



The Jersey Gardens solar system will be designed, installed, and maintained by SunPower Corp. The SunPower T5 Solar Roof Tile is the solar industry’s first non-penetrating rooftop product that combines a high-efficiency SunPower solar panel, frame and mounting system into a single, pre-engineered unit. Tilted at a 5-degree angle, the system will approximately double the energy generated per square meter compared to other systems that are mounted flat onto commercial rooftops.



“At 4.8 MW on a single rooftop, this is a milestone solar installation made possible with SunPower’s high-efficiency panels and T5 Solar Roof Tile system,” said Tom Leyden, managing director at SunPower. “By hosting this system, Jersey Gardens will reliably maximize its savings on electricity costs over the next 20 years or more.”