Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at ACUA

1. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at ACUA Atlantic County, NJ

2. The Atlantic County Utilities Authority • The Atlantic County Utilities Authority is a public agency that provides environmental and waste management services to the people of Atlantic County and southern New Jersey • The ACUA operates both Wastewater and Solid Waste Management Systems.

3. About the • $66.9 million in annual revenue • 250 employees • Full service regional wastewater treatment facility, trash & recycling collection, landfill, composting, recycling center, CNG Filing Station and transfer station. The ACUA Mission Statement. . . The Atlantic County Utilities Authority is responsible for enhancing the quality of life through the protection of waters and lands from pollution by providing responsible waste management services. The Authority is an environmental leader and will continue to use new technologies, innovations and employee ideas to provide the highest quality and most cost effective environmental services. . . .makes the Authority a natural facilitator for renewable energy projects

4. ACUA Goes Green With: • 7.5 megawatt wind farm • 500 kilowatt solar generation facility • 5.4 megawatt landfill gas to electric facility • Biodiesel- B5 blend powers the ACUA diesel fleet • Hybrid and Electric Vehicles • Geothermal heating and cooling • Energy conservation • Energy curtailment • Compressed Natural Gas vehicles • Membership in the Greenhouse Gas offset markets Chicago Climate Exchange and Climate Action Reserve

5. Jersey – Atlantic Wind Farm M.A. Mortenson Company Atlantic City, NJ

6. Jersey – Atlantic Wind Farm How it Works: • A weather station located on top of each of the wind turbines turns the nacelle, the small building at the top of the tower, facing into the wind. • The turbine’s three blades pitch to maximize the speed at which the turbine spins. A shaft, attached to the hub of the blades, turns a gear box that is attached to a generator that processes the electricity. • The electricity is then transported to the ground by wires, which are then attached to the electrical grid at the plant.

7. Jersey – Atlantic Wind Farm Energy Generation: • Once the wind is blowing more than 12 miles per hour, each wind turbine can produce 1.5 megawatts of electricity. • At reduced wind speeds, electricity production decreases. • When wind speed exceeds 45 miles per hour the turbines shut down to protect the machinery inside.

8. Jersey – Atlantic Wind Farm Project Specifics: • Wind farm owners: Jersey-Atlantic Wind, LLC, a partner with original developer Community Energy, Inc. • Project includes five, 380 foot tall turbines. • Each turbine is capable of producing 1.5 megawatts for a total of 7.5 megawatts.

9. Jersey – Atlantic Wind Farm Project Specifics: • Enough to power 2,500 homes • When operating at design wind conditions, the energy is used to operate the ACUA wastewater treatment plant, with any excess energy provided to the main power grid.

10. Jersey – Atlantic Wind Farm Project Specifics: • Project cost was $12.5 million. Community Energy received a $1.7 million grant from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, and a $1.92 million customer supply grant through Atlantic City Electric. • The wind farm has saved the ACUA over $2.4 million dollars in its first five years of operation.

11. Wind Farm: Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) • 20 year agreement between ACUA and Jersey-Atlantic Wind, LLC. • ACUA receives a $15,000 yearly payment from Jersey-Atlantic Wind, LLC as a lease for the land in the project. • ACUA has guaranteed to purchase 9,500,000 kWh a year. • The cost charged is 7.95 cents a kWh over the life of the agreement. The grid rate paid in 2010 was 12 cents for utility grid power.

12. Solar at ACUA How it Works • Solar cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. Cells are made of semiconductor-type materials similar to that used in computer chips. • When these materials absorb sunlight the solar energy knocks electrons loose from the atoms producing electricity. • This process of converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage) is called the photovoltaic (PV) effect.

13. Solar at ACUA How it Works (continued) • Individual solar cells are combined into modules or panels that are mounted into larger arrays. • In the ACUA application, DC power produced by the solar arrays is fed to the inverters. • The inverters convert the DC power to AC power that is then fed into the building’s electrical system. • The performance of a solar cell is measured in terms of its efficiency at converting sunlight into electricity. • A typical solar cell has an efficiency of 15 percent, meaning about one-sixth of the sunlight striking the cell generates electricity.

14. ACUA’s Solar Portfolio • 2,700 solar panels installed at Wastewater Treatment Facility in five arrays - two roof top, two ground mounts and one canopy array • 500 kW system owned and maintained by ACUA • Operational in 2006 • $3.25 million project • $1.9 million CORE rebate from NJBPU • Electricity from the solar arrays also create SRECs (Solar Renewable Energy Credits) • So far the ACUA’s solar arrays have generated over 3 million kWh of electricity and saved the ACUA over $1.8 million

15. Renewable Energy Use at ACUA

16. Renewable Energy Savings and Revenue at ACUA

17. Electric Charging Stations and Electric Vehicles at the ACUA • The ACUA has installed a total of three Electric Vehicle Charging Stations at the Atlantic City Wastewater Treatment Facility and the Solid Waste Facility, which are all powered by clean energy. • The Wastewater Treatment Plant is powered by wind and solar energy, while the Solid Waste Facility is powered by a Landfill Gas to Energy Project. • The ACUA hopes this project will jumpstart the use of electric cars and the development of charging stations.

18. Electric Vehicles • The ACUA unveiled three electric charging stations in July of 2009 on both its Solid Waste and Wastewater Treatment sites • The stations are capable of charging at 110 volts or 220 volts • The ACUA owns a low-speed GEM electric car and a 2000 Ford Ranger EV • The Ranger gets 61 miles on a single charge and takes between 6 and 8 hours to charge • Estimated cost of $0.04 per mile • Electricity produced for the vehicles comes from renewable sources

19. Greening the Office Place:Energy & Water Conservation • Waterless urinals, faucet sensors and low-flow aerators • Replaced CRT monitors with energy efficient LCDs • Computer monitors utilize energy saving “sleep” mode • Reduced servers by 1/3 • Energy Star certified appliances and office equipment and high efficiency lighting • Energy Audit done by Concord through the NJCEP, Local Government Energy Audit Program (LGEA)

20. Portfolio Manager at ACUA In preparation for the LGEA, ACUA benchmarked the Wastewater Treatment Facility in Atlantic City using Portfolio Manager • Helps Compare Wastewater Facilities • Helps to show where energy efficiency improvements can be made within the plant.

21. Tom LaulettaVice President of Wastewater Atlantic County Utilities Authority Contact information: 609-343-7732 tlauletta@acua.com