Jersey Solar
Vanguard Energy Partners
With a background in Finance, Pincipal Tom Buono has led Vanguard Energy Partners into a huge amount of sucess in the solar industry in just a few years time, helping provide creative alternatives to conventional energy systems.
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corporate profile | solar
V
anguard Energy Partners
by Joel Cornell
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solar | corporate profile
providing creative alternatives to conventional energy systems New Jersey-based Vanguard Energy Partners, LLC is not like most construction companies. They are leaders in the rapidly growing solar energy industry. Vanguard helps their clients meet economic goals while reducing their carbon footprint. While the company is a leader in the solar energy industry, it is first and foremost a true blue construction company and design firm. Similarly, Principal Tom Buono is not like most people in the solar industry. He entered the field with 18 years of management, retail and wholesale financial advisory, and banking experience. Buono contributes that corporate business mentality that has given Vanguard huge amounts of success domestically and around the world. Vanguard was established in 2008 when Ferreira Construction Co., Inc., an accomplished heavy construction company, partnered with New Jersey Solar Solutions, one of the state’s first photovoltaic integrators. This partnership combined decades of experience and knowledge in multiple construction disciplines including roofing,
electrical, site work, engineering and solar technology. Buono came into Vanguard at its founding from the side of Ferreira Construction. To date, Vanguard has designed and installed more than 150 solar photovoltaic systems servicing the commercial, industrial, government and education sectors. They have installed over 12 MW of DC rated capacity, with over 14 MW under construction. Committed to creative solutions, quality workmanship and high performance solar electric systems, they provide maximum return on investments while benefiting the environment. The company’s most notable project is one of the largest rooftop mounted solar installations in North America. The 3.2 MW system provides power to three state-of-the-art food storage warehouses in central New Jersey. The estimated production of the system is over THIS PAGE: New Jersey American Water, N.J. The New Jersey American Water Millstone Water Treatment Plant in Raritan, N.J. is a 99.2 kW system consisting of ground-mounted arrays. Photo by Anita Melograna.
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corporate profile | solar
3510 MWh -- equivalent to over 5.5 million lbs. of avoided Carbon Dioxide emissions. Despite the economy, Vanguard has managed to grow tremendously in just a few short years. “We’ve taken the staff to an all-time high of 37, bringing in 20 new employees this year alone,” Buono said. “We bring many disciplines to our projects and clients including construction, technology, finance, and business management.” When it comes to expansion outside their current geographical footprint, Buono said it can sometimes be difficult to market in certain parts of the U.S. “Here in the U.S., there has yet to be a national mandate for renewable and solar energies. The oil and coal industries and their lobbyists still have a huge hold over the energy market. In 2010, there was a mandate on Capitol Hill for solar energy and other renewable sources of power, but the bill was quite firmly squashed. Fortunately for us, New Jersey happens to be one of the best markets for solar energy. Payback for a commercial solar photovoltaic project is less than 5 years. We will go anywhere there’s a state mandate, and anywhere that the market is at all viable, whether that’s in other states or in other countries.” Vanguard’s core business is in their home state of New Jersey, but they operate all over the East Coast, from Pennsylvania to Florida. Additionally, they’re making great strides to extend their reach into the Caribbean. “The Caribbean is an ideal place to expand solar technology,” said Buono. “Many states average more sunlight than New Jersey, but New Jersey is the leader in the U.S. as far as incentives and rebates go. However, the environmental conditions in the Caribbean are ideal for the production of solar energy. The infrastructure there isn’t necessarily as receptive to solar technology yet, and the frequency of hurricanes and tropical storms pose a problem, but it is still a great and promising market to work in.” Though Vanguard runs like a construction company in their day-to-day operations,
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solar | corporate profile
they receive much more support from their head office than your average construction company. A total of four offices support their business ventures. “We recently completed a 334 kW project at the Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority that challenged us with nearly no available roof/ground space.” Buono said. “We overcame this by constructing the system over the treatment facility’s aeration tanks. Most other solar construction companies don’t design their own architecture and custom arrays, and thus could never have completed a project like that without the need for outsourcing.” And Vanguard’s services don’t stop after project development and construction completion. The company also operates a turn-key services/ maintenance department in their New Jersey headquarters, which is capable of maintaining the systems throughout their lifespan. “As long as there is some support, especially from the utilities, the industry will continue to grow exponentially,” Buono said. “The only people who really don’t want to see solar energy thrive are those who are still making money from the use of fossil fuels and other non-renewable energy sources. Here in New CENTER: Federal Correctional Institute, Fairton, N.J. The 402.48 kW ground-mounted system at the Federal Correctional Institution had some unique challenges. Security on the job site was a concern, and Vanguard used Unicor panels, which are made by inmates. Some of the inmates from FCI also aided in the construction of this project. Photo by Imagic Digital Photography. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: High Point Solutions, N.J. The solar array at High Point Solutions is a 173.42 kW roof-mounted system. Photo by Imagic Digital Photography; Pitman High School, N.J. The solar array at Pitman High School is a 301.74 kW roof-mounted system. Photo by Imagic Digital Photography; Pegasus Products, N.J. The 101 kW system at Pegasus Products created a NetZero electric building. Photo by DSL Photography; Morristown Wastewater Treatment Plant, N.J. The 578 kW system consists of three components: a 480 kW ground mount, a 69 kW roof mount and a 30 kW canopy structure over the filtration tank. Photo by Anita Melograna; Gill St. Bernard School, N.J. The solar array at Gill St. Bernard is a 146.016 kW roof-mounted system. Photo by Imagic Digital Photography; Hall’s 501 refrigerated warehouse, N.J. The installations at Hall’s are currently one of the largest rooftop mounted solar installations in the U.S. The system size for Hall’s 330, 501 and 601 Warehouses is 3.163 MW. Photo by Anita Melograna.
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corporate profile | solar
Jersey, the renewable energy market has progressed far enough that there are penalties in place for utility companies. However, in some states there are absolutely no incentives in place to get people moving where they want to go: into solar and renewable energy sources.” Although Vanguard’s client base is equally split between the public and private sectors, the company is particularly excited about one recently awarded government contract. In mid October, the company was awarded one of New Jersey’s largest public solar projects, which is expected to save the taxpayers of one county $18 million over the term of the 15 year power purchase agreement. Vanguard arranged a savvy
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financing model which freed the county of any capital investment. By selling SRECs back to the county at affordable rates and partnering with Citi Group’s Municipal Securities Division, Vanguard is playing a pivotal role in helping the taxpayers, economy, and environment. On every front, Vanguard Energy Partners is rapidly expanding, and they maintain the talent and dedication that has brought them to be one of today’s leaders in the solar energy industry. ELT THIS PAGE: Black River Farm, N.J. The 163.92 kW at Black River Farm has two different array types. 84.12 kW is a roof mounted array, and 79.8 kW are ground-mounted arrays. Photo by Anita Melograna.
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