UPS completes solar energy project

UPS completes solar energy project    UPS said it has installed a 250-kilowatt rooftop solar array on its Lakewood, N.J., facility, completing a project that is expected to provide 30 percent of the building’s annual energy needs.
   The company said the installation is the first in a series of investments UPS plans to increase the company’s reliance on renewable energy.
   UPS also has existing solar installations in Palm Springs, Calif., and at its regional air hub at the Cologne-Bonn airport in Germany.
   UPS took advantage of New Jersey’s net metering rules, which offer compensation for generating excess power during the day and selling it back to the utility.
   “The nature of our operation means we use most of our energy at night, so during the day much of the electricity produced by this system will flow back to the grid to support the utilities peak,” said Scott Wicker, chief sustainability officer. “At night, when we’re sorting the packages, we will draw from the grid.”