By NEW YORK — EnterSolar and ZWILLING J.A. Henckels launched an 850 kW solar project at ZWILLING’s US headquarters in Pleasantville, NY.
The rooftop solar array is expected to offset 100% of the company’s grid-supplied power. This project is among the first commercial buildings in the region to be designed and built with solar in mind, rather than retrofitted. ZWILLING worked at the outset with Gallin Beeler Design Studio to design a building that would have a low environmental impact.
On an annual basis, the project will generate almost 1.0 million kilowatt hours, enough clean renewable electricity to power almost 100 typical homes for a year. The solar photovoltaic system will provide significant environmental benefits to both ZWILLING and the Westchester community, including the avoidance of almost 406,000 lbs of CO2 per year. The building’s lighting systems are also high efficiency, utilizing motion sensors to reduce usage in unoccupied areas. In addition, the building was rebuilt on the footprint of an existing structure, minimizing additional environmental impacts, and innovatively “recycles” the existing building foundation.
“Today, we mark the opening of our United States headquarters. By designing this building with significant green elements, we hope to demonstrate our commitment to sustainability not only to our employees and customers, but to our Westchester, New York State and the greater US community at large. Going solar was the most important aspect of this project for us, and we are so pleased to have worked with EnterSolar to create a facility that will draw 100% of its power from the sun,” said ZWILLING J.A. Henckels CEO Guido Weishaupt.
This innovative project, originated and developed by EnterSolar and its partner, TriState Solar Alliance, is supported by funding from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s NY-Sun, a $1 billion initiative to advance the scale-up of solar and move the state closer to having a sustainable, self-sufficient solar industry. The project was the first project completed in New York State to take advantage of the NY-Sun Megawatt Block program for systems larger than 200 kW, which allocates Megawatt (MW) Blocks to specific regions of the State, breaks those regional MW targets into blocks to which incentives are assigned, and awards incentives based upon the block in effect at the time.
“Under Governor Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision strategy, New York State is accelerating the increase of solar power and other renewable energy sources to make our energy system clean, resilient and affordable for all New Yorkers,” said John B. Rhodes, President and CEO, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. “By considering solar during the design phase of this new building and incorporating monitoring technology, this project demonstrates innovation and foresight.”
The system is comprised of 3,264 Hanwha 260W Q-Cell panel and also incorporates 1,632 SolarEdge P600 optimizers which increase energy output from PV systems by constantly tracking the maximum power point (MPPT) of each module individually. Equally efficient, the power optimizers monitor the performance of each module and communicate performance data to a monitoring portal for enhanced, cost-effective module-level maintenance.
“The ZWILLING team saw the benefits of going solar, right from the outset. This system will offer tremendous ROI, from both a financial and environmental perspective. ZWILLING will enjoy significant savings on its electricity costs, and will mitigate future exposure to energy price volatility by self-generating its own clean electricity with the rooftop system,” said EnterSolar president, Paul Ahern.
About EnterSolar
Based in New York City, EnterSolar is a leading provider of solar photovoltaic systems to the commercial marketplace. Unique in its combination of business operations and solar expertise, the Company works with commercial enterprises to deliver optimal energy solutions with compelling, long-term ROI. Expert in the dynamic legislative environment, EnterSolar provides clients with real-time guidance in order to best leverage financial incentives at the regional and state levels.
About ZWILLING J.A. Henckels
One of the oldest brands on record, ZWILLING J.A. Henckels was founded in 1731 when knife-maker Peter Henckels registered the ZWILLING (German for TWIN) logo with the Cutlers Guild of Solingen, Germany. The brand is recognized as a symbol of quality, innovation, and design. Over 280 years after its founding ZWILLING J.A, HENCKELS applies the same standards of excellence to flatware, cookware, glassware, and kitchen tools. The family of ZWILLING brands includes ZWILLING J.A. Henckels, Staub, Demeyere, Miyabi, and Henckels International.
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