Caldwell Wastewater Plant Gets Solar Power Boost From PSEG

CALDWELL, NJ — When the power goes out in the Caldwells, what’s protecting the borough’s wastewater treatment plant? As of this week, PSE&G’s new solar storage project.

On Wednesday, PSE&G and Caldwell borough officials gathered at a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new solar storage system at the municipal wastewater plant. The ceremony took place nearly five years to the day that Superstorm Sandy made landfall in New Jersey.

The new system at the Caldwell plant combines a 2,682 panel, 896-kilowatt DC solar system with 1 megawatt-hour batteries, which can provide electricity directly to the grid during regular operations. The amount of juice can power about 165 homes annually, PSE&G spokespeople said.

But the real benefit of the new system is what it can do under emergency situations, officials say.

“In the event of an extended power outage, the combined solar and battery system works in conjunction with the treatment plant’s existing diesel back-up generators,” PSE&G stated. “During the day, the solar panels recharge the batteries and help power the wastewater treatment plant, and at night, the batteries help keep the facility running.”

The combination of the new solar storage system and the existing back-up generators will allow the Caldwell plant to operate for as long as 10 days without outside power, which will help keep wastewater from the facility out of local waterways, PSE&G stated.

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Advanced Solar Power of Flemington was the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the Caldwell project. Eos Energy Storage of Edison supplied the batteries, Siemens AG integrated the batteries and solar system, and A.F. Mensah of Princeton was the storage system operator.

"I'd like to thank PSE&G for choosing the Caldwell wastewater treatment plant as the location for this valuable solar project, which will not only provide power to the grid on a daily basis, but will also keep our plant up-and-running in the event of an emergency, such as a hurricane,” Caldwell Mayor Ann Dassing said.

“I'd like to also thank everyone from Caldwell who was involved for both bringing this opportunity to the borough's attention and for working alongside PSE&G to make it a reality,” Dassing said.

The Caldwell solar storage system is one of three similar projects that are in service as part of PSE&G’s “Solar 4 All” program. The two other PSE&G solar storage projects in service are located at Hopewell Valley Regional High School in Hopewell, and at Cooper University Hospital in Camden. The former allows the high school to serve as a warming or cooling station for the public during an extended power outage and the latter provides back-up power for refrigeration needed for vital pediatric medications at the hospital.

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