Eldorado Coffee Roasters announced the commissioning of a 240.24 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic PV system at its worldwide headquarters in Maspeth, Queens, N.Y. The solar array will produce in excess of 280,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy annually, enough to satisfy the entire facility's yearly demand for electricity.
Andres Martin, the firm's vice president, said the solar project will be the "perfect fit" for its green initiative. Eldorado's solar system will eliminate more than 500,000 pounds of CO2, 500 pounds of NOx and 2,000 pounds of SO2 emissions from the air annually. "We will be much more energy efficient and be able to fulfill our commitment to the world and its environment," said Martin in a prepared statement.
The project was engineered, constructed, and financed by Solar Energy Systems (SES), one of NYC's premier solar integrators. Headquartered in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, SES will operate and maintain the system, selling the solar kWh generation to Eldorado at a discounted rate via a power purchase agreement (PPA). David Buckner, president of SES, says, "Eldorado continues to be a great partner in helping SES launch its first solar PPA in New York City. Its commitment to deliver a more environmentally responsible product has been the driving force behind the whole project. With funding provided by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), combined with federal, state and local tax incentives, the project is also a financial winner."
To finance the project, SES obtained Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds through NYSERDA, and a federal tax incentive. "By investing in solar energy, the state is not only able to drive down the cost of doing business for Eldorado Coffee Roasters, but also helping to improve power reliability in New York City by reducing demand on the electric grid," said Francis J. Murray Jr., president and CEO of NYSERDA."The public-private partnership in these renewable energy projects is a critical component to New York meeting its renewable energy goals."
