December typically is more about endings than beginnings. For Benjamin Moore & Co., however, the opposite was true as 2010 drew to a close. In December, the paint manufacturer began powering its Flanders, N.J., research-and-development facility with the aid of 8,600 crystalline photovoltaic solar panels. It is the Montvale, N.J., firm's first -- but likely not last -- commitment to renewable energy as a power generation source.
"We believe in renewable energy as a principle under our environmental policy and philosophy," says Kip Cleverley, director of environment, health, safety and product stewardship for the company. That commitment is part of the corporation's larger dedication to sustainability in the resources it consumes and the products it produces.
Benjamin Moore selected the Flanders site as its first foray into renewable energy for several reasons: an energy audit revealed that the R&D facility was among the higher users of electricity among Benjamin Moore's sites; the location had sufficient land available for a solar installation; and the site is where Benjamin Moore's "greenest" paint was developed.
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| The 1.7-megawatt solar power system at Benjamin Moore's research-and-development center is expected to generate 68% of the location's electricity needs. Photo:Newscast/Mark Dye |
The solar-powered system in Flanders is expected to generate about 68% of the electricity needs for Benjamin Moore's 80,000-square-foot product development center and testing laboratories. Beyond that, the company aims to find additional means of energy conservation, chipping away at the 30% or so of electricity that is generated by traditional means.
Success in that endeavor would allow the location not only to produce nearly all of the electricity it consumes, but also would make the Flanders site one of the first net zero facilities of its types in the country, Cleverley says. (By the way, Cleverley says there is no difference in the quality of the energy created by the solar array and that provided by the grid.)
Constellation Energy Partners in the Project
Constellation Energy is Benjamin Moore's partner in the solar-powered system. Including sites already in operation or under construction, Constellation Energy's retail business (which addresses commercial, industrial and government sites) manages about 44 megawatts of solar power in seven states at 25 customer sites.
For Benjamin Moore, Constellation Energy built, owns and will maintain the 1.7 megawatt system for the duration of a 20-year solar power purchase agreement. In addition to receiving a long-term fixed price for the electricity generated by the solar array, the on-site installation allows Benjamin Moore to avoid a distribution charge, according to Michael Smith, senior vice president of green initiatives for Constellation Energy's retail business. Benjamin Moore provided the land for the solar panels.
