A supermarket in Linden, NJ, recently received energy upgrades with the installation of a solar panel system that will generate electricity throughout the facility.
Kam Man Food, a leader in Asian supermarkets in the Northeast region of the United States, recently announced its first solar energy installations, which will contribute to the company's commitment to sustainability in the community.
The chain was founded in 1972 and was known as the first Chinese supermarket to venture to the East Coast. The store carries a wide selection of Asian and non-Asian food products, including seafood's and meats.
The 265-kilowatt system was installed at the facility at 601 East Linden Avenue, and the store will hold a ceremony to commemorate the activation of the system soon. The ceremony will include representatives from Kam Man and Amergy Solar, a New Jersey-based solar integrator that provides services for residential, commercial, government utility and non-profit customers throughout New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
"We were able to align our commitment to sustainability with rendering our cost of electric inflation proof," said Wellman Wu, president of Kam Man Foods.
New Jersey gives local business owners three incentives to install solar panels under the "Pay for Performance" program. The first incentive is based on the size of the facility and the second and third incentives are based on the levels of savings acquired by the business in kilowatts. The average incentive per project in the state totals 40 percent of the total project cost, or $350,000.
Pay for Performance is available for existing buildings in the New Jersey area with an electric demand of more than 100 kilowatts, and is available new construction buildings with 50,000 square feet or more of planned space. A minimum of 15 percent source energy reduction is required for existing buildings, which can be achieved by reducing the amount of electric, gas and other fuel source reductions. For new construction in the state, a minimum 15 percent energy costs savings compared to the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers standard 90.1-2007 is required.
The New Jersey solar installation at the Kam Man facility might be followed by installations at several other stores. The increasing financial appeal of solar power is attracting more to the clean energy source, which is saving enterprises money while reducing the country's dependence on foreign oil.
