Jersey City, N.J. – Saint Peter’s College today announced that it has officially entered an agreement with ENER-G Group Inc., a sustainable energy company which designs, develops and finances energy efficient and renewable solutions on a business-to-business basis globally. With this partnership, Saint Peter’s College is setting the standard for green energy performance in the education arena by installing clean technology that will reduce its carbon emissions by 6.4 million pounds per year. This will equate to the carbon saving benefits of a 615 acre pine forest.
The College has appointed ENER-G to deliver a $6.3 million energy services contract for its West Campus in Jersey City. ENER-G is partnering with a number of local contractors and consultants on the nine month program, which is slated for completion in June 2012. This latest initiative expands upon the College’s commitment to sustainable energy. Previous green projects on the campus include the implementation of 100 percent renewable energy as the sole source of purchased electricity.
“This partnership and green initiative comes at a strategic time for the College as we begin construction on our new LEED-Silver “green” student center and following our recently implemented Climate Action Plan,” said Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., president of Saint Peter’s College. “Each green initiative on our campus diverts resources from unsustainable projects to renewable, cost effective ones. Beyond the savings and the environmental benefits, these initiatives also create learning opportunities for the students and fulfill the Jesuit ideal to be stewards of God’s creation.”
ENER-G’s state-of-the-art green initiative with Saint Peter’s College includes the installation of solar arrays above a number of buildings on the campus to generate electricity. These buildings include Dinneen Hall, Pope Hall, McDermott Hall, and the Yanitelli Recreational Life Center (RLC) parking deck. A cogeneration plant will also be built in the basement of Pope Hall that will produce both low carbon heat and electricity for academic buildings on the West Campus. Work has also commenced in the RLC to capitalize on the benefits of this green initiative, including new energy efficient lighting in the bubble, pool and other areas.
ENER-G is funding the $6.3 million capital program and there is no upfront cost to the college. The cost is partially offset by two substantial grants from the New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program and Federal Tax Credits awarded to solar power and combined heat and power (CHP) projects, all of which total $1.86 million.
“We are delighted to partner with Saint Peter’s College and local engineering businesses and suppliers to deliver and invest in this complex energy services contract,” said Chris Hayton, business development director for ENER-G Group Inc. “We are very impressed with the engineering skills available here and will be creating more jobs as we continue to grow, and fund low and zero carbon projects across the Eastern Seaboard.”
The idea for a holistic energy conservation project for the West Campus was first conceived by Strategic Development Group, the firm that partners with Saint Peter’s College on all of its major real estate development projects, including the new student center. Anthony Bastardi, Strategic’s CEO and special advisor to Dr. Cornacchia, led the multi-firm design team that engineered the project.
Saint Peter’s College, inspired by its Jesuit, Catholic identity, commitment to individual attention and grounding in the liberal arts, educates a diverse community of learners in undergraduate, graduate and professional programs to excel intellectually, lead ethically, serve compassionately and promote justice in our ever-changing urban and global environment.
ENER-G Group Inc is the US subsidiary of ENER-G plc (www.energ.co.uk), a UK business with operations in 17 countries. The company is a global leader in small scale cogeneration and biogas generation, with its technologies used by the British Royal family at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.
ENER-G powers cost and carbon reduction – investing in and delivering complete end-to-end solutions for all commercial and industrial requirements. These include every aspect of energy management, from consultancy, controls, combined heat and power manufacture and operation, to geothermal energy, energy from biogas and new generation energy from waste.
Contact:
Angeline Boyer
(201) 761-6238
aboyer1@spc.edu