The largest solar installation on a high-rise multifamily residential building in New Jersey was recently built by Sunkeeper Solar of Brooklyn, New York. The Beach, a 336-unit rental tower in Jersey City’s waterfront Newport neighborhood, is owned by New York-based real estate developer LeFrak, and is now home to a 180-kW, 450-panel rooftop system that will offset 13% of the building’s carbon emissions.
Credit: LeFrak
“LeFrak is committed to community development and promoting environmental sustainability,” said Charles Burton, head of community relations for LeFrak. “We’re proud to offer New Jersey’s largest solar installation at a high-rise residential community. This initiative exemplifies our continued dedication to creating a well-rounded lifestyle for our Newport residents while doing our part to protect the environment. By integrating sustainable practices like this, we’re helping shape a greener future, not just for our buildings, but for the communities around us.”
The new rooftop system offsets energy produced by electrical systems used in The Beach’s common area spaces, including those that power elevators and lighting, as well as cooling and ventilation in the building’s lobby and areas with amenities. The design of The Beach’s roof and the orientation of the building optimize the amount of solar power generated by the system.
“This is exactly what we should be seeing in Jersey City with the expansion of new high-rise residential development and the push for more sustainable development. Solar makes sense on multi-family buildings, and especially because Jersey City is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, projects like this should become the bar for new development. Going solar saves consumers money, reduces air pollution and creates a more resilient energy grid — solar is a double green amenity,” said Doug O’Malley, Director of Environment New Jersey.
The Beach maintains 336 rental units across two towers located in Jersey City’s Newport neighborhood. The building’s amenities include a fitness center and outdoor pool. LeFrak partnered with electric vehicle-sharing platform Envoy to offer neighborhood residents access to a fleet of on-site electric vehicles for rent.
News item from LeFrak
