Piscataway Solar Microgrid Powers Town Hall & Police

Piscataway activated a solar microgrid this month that can power Town Hall and police headquarters independently for up to seven days during power outages.

Solar panels installed at seven township buildings—the community center, two libraries, police headquarters, the senior center, Town Hall, and Sterling Village senior living facility—feed into a battery storage system linked with the township's existing diesel generator. The on-site arrays will generate 64 percent of the township's electricity needs and cut Piscataway's carbon footprint by 53 percent this year, according to township officials.

The battery stores excess solar energy generated during the day for use at night and during peak demand periods, reducing the township's exposure to fluctuating energy costs.