A new project in Somerset by BGO, Dimension Energy, and Black Bear Energy addresses two big challenges in the energy transition: expanding access and avoiding land-use conflicts.
It places nearly 10 MW of community solar on a single warehouse roof, generating enough electricity to power more than 1,600 homes while delivering 20%+ savings to subscribers—many of whom wouldn’t otherwise have access to solar.
It’s the largest rooftop community solar installation in New Jersey’s history, according to a release.
As large-scale solar faces increasing pushback over land use, this model—using existing buildings—could become an important path forward, particularly in densely populated states.
This system marks the second of two co-located systems on a single industrial warehouse, which already hosts an existing 4.97 MW system built under New Jersey’s original Community Solar Energy Pilot Program.
While New Jersey’s permanent community solar rules prohibit co-locating more than 5 MW on a single site, the first system was permitted and constructed under the separate Pilot Program, which operated under a different regulatory framework.
This distinction allows both projects to co-exist on the same roof, unlocking nearly 10 MW of generation from a single building.
New Jersey’s community solar program enables residents and renters who cannot install solar on their own properties to subscribe to a share of a larger, off-site solar project.
Through this program, subscribers receive bill credits from their utility, saving at least 20 percent on their electricity costs—without requiring any installation, equipment, or long-term commitment on their own property.
The program prioritizes low- to moderate-income (LMI) households, providing deeper discounts to ensure that clean energy benefits reach the communities that need them most.
