Keasbey, NJ – ShopRite announced today the installation of a solar power system to reduce energy consumption and lower the environmental impact of its Egg Harbor, New Jersey store. This environmentally-based initiative consists of the installation of 1,782 solar panels – each fixed to the roof of the ShopRite of Egg Harbor – and will produce 525 kilowatts, which will power in-store refrigeration and lighting. The new solar panel system is also expected to reduce energy consumption at the store, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 400 tons. The system will be operational later this year.
“This solar project allows us to build sustainable practices into our business while still providing quality service and comfort to our customers,” stated Kevin Begley, CFO of Village Super Market, Inc., which owns and operates the ShopRite of Egg Harbor “We recognize that our customers look for a shopping experience that not only offers them service and value but that also fulfills their desire to do what’s right for the environment. We will continue to look for new ways in which to reduce our environmental impact and to maintain an environmentally responsible store.”
In addition to installing solar panels, the ShopRite of Egg Harbor uses high efficiency refrigeration systems and refrigerated store cases with energy-saving lamps and lighting systems to lessen its impact on the environment.
Village Super Market tapped Rockaway, NJ-based The Solar Center to install the state-of-the art PV (Photovoltaic) system. The Solar Center also installed the 276 kW solar system at the ShopRite of Garwood in 2010.
Currently, the Egg Harbor project is in the design phase, and will be operational later in the year. "We are thrilled to be working on another project with Village Super Market that is sure to set the standard for sustainability in the supermarket industry," said Gerry Heimbuch, Vice President of Commercial Projects at The Solar Center. "This is one of the biggest green initiatives in the county and we are proud that Village Super Market selected The Solar Center to build it," expressed Heimbuch.
"We chose The Solar Center for a second project because they demonstrated their experienced and knowledgeable engineering, installation and management teams bring to commercial projects of this size,” said Begley. “The Solar Center’s ability to efficiently handle all aspects of the project was critical in our decision".
The ShopRite of Egg Harbor is located at 3003 English Creek Avenue, Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234. Its hours of operation are: Monday-Saturday, 7am-11pm and Sunday, 7am-9pm.
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About ShopRite
ShopRite is the registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative, based in Keasbey, NJ and the largest supermarket cooperative in the United States. With more than 230 ShopRite supermarkets located throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, ShopRite serves more than five million customers each week. A long-time supporter of key community efforts, ShopRite is dedicated to fighting hunger in the communities it serves. Through its ShopRite Partners In Caring program, ShopRite has donated more than $24 million to 1,700 worthy charities and food banks since the program began in 1999. As a title sponsor of the LPGA’s ShopRite Classic, ShopRite has raised more than $23 million for local schools, hospitals and community groups. For more information, please visit www.ShopRite.com.
About The Solar Center
The Solar Center (TSC) is one of the East Coast’s leading providers of solar energy systems. Specializing in turnkey energy solutions, the company engineers, procures and constructs solar energy systems to help its customers lower electric purchases from conventional generation, ensuring a long term supply of fixed priced electricity, and take advantage of significant Federal and State incentives to ensure a superior investment return. Since The Solar Center’s founding in 2005, The Solar Center has installed over 800 commercial and residential systems amounting to over 8 MW of solar energy. TSC’s energy solutions include solar electric and solar thermal energy systems. The Solar Center’s primary business focus is in the New Jersey, New York, Connecticut Tri-State region For more information, Gerry Heimbuch gheimbuch@thesolarcenter.com
Source: ShopRite
