Bloomberg makes news with solar installation

Bloomberg solar installationBloomberg, known for reporting the news, made headlines of its own this week when the company installed 1.8-megawatts of solar at its Skillman, N.J. campus.

The ground-mounted SunPower system will meet about 58 percent of the energy demand at Bloomberg’s 100,000-square-foot main building, according to a release from SunPower.

Bloomberg is an international news agency focused on financial and market updates and analytics. The company has grown internationally and it's New Jersey campus is a hub.

New Jersey is also the second hottest state in the country for solar, behind California, because of its competitive renewable energy incentives. Curtis Ravenel, global head of sustainability for Bloomberg, said in a statement that the company has an overall commitment to environmental sustainability. “This significant solar installation contributes to Bloomberg’s environmental and financial goals and diversifies New Jersey’s energy supply with reliable, clean, affordable power,” Ravenel said.

Bloomberg is buying the power through a power purchase agreement with a subsidiary of Integrys Energy Services, which is also selling the solar renewable energy credits. “PPAs are fairly typical for our New Jersey commercial projects,” said Ingrid Eckstrom, spokeswoman for SunPower. Bloomberg locked in a long-term agreement to pay less than the current retail rate for power, which allows the news organization to hedge against rising energy costs with little up front money.

The system is installed on eight acres on Bloomberg’s Skillman campus. Eckstrom said she didn’t know if Bloomberg was considering a larger installation or an expansion of the new solar array. But there is space for an expansion on that campus. SunPower was awarded the contract through a competitive process, Eckstrom said. The system uses SunPower’s TO Trackers, which follow the sun throughout the day for higher energy output.