Solis Partners has announced that it has completed the installation of a 243- kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) system at Riephoff Sawmill. Located in Monmouth County in the borough of Upper Freehold, N.J. The Riephoff facility is New Jersey's largest hardwood sawmill.

The system was designed, engineered and constructed by Manasquan, N.J.-based Solis Partners and comprises of two ground-mounted systems - a 165-kilowatt array that generates power for the sawmill and a 78-kilowatt array that generates power for additional facilities on the property, which include a barn for livestock and an aquafarm.

Located at 763 Route 524, the Riephoff Sawmill is a family-owned business that has been supplying the Northeast with high quality lumber products for the industrial, construction and manufacturing industries for more than 45 years. The two solar systems are housed within the company's 7-acre yard that is used for scaling and storing logs.

"We are thrilled to announce the completion of this innovative project," said Jamie Hahn, co-founder and managing director of Solis Partners. "This project allows Riephoff to lower its operating costs and acts as a hedge against the rising costs of electricity, which is especially important in a state that has some of the nation's highest electricity rates. The ability to produce clean, renewable energy is also very important to Riephoff as an organization reliant on the natural environment for raw materials."

The 15,000-square-foot mill, which includes a 56-inch circular saw and a 20-foot frick carriage, a device used to pass large pieces of lumber through the saw, as well as the pumps needed for aquafarming, requires a lot of electricity. The solar PV system offsets approximately 100 percent of Riephoff's electricity consumption, which equates to approximately $36,000 in annual savings.

Built with 1,036 solar PV panels, the solar system will produce approximately 300,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity in the first year of operation. This equates to the reduction of more than 456,000 pounds of CO2 emissions, which is the equivalent of offsetting the power demand of 26 residential homes or removing 40 cars from the road each year.

"We care about the environment," said John Falconio, principal at Riephoff. "Because our company relies on natural resources, we continuously implement projects and methods that are environmentally responsible. However, the decision to pursue a solar project was easy because there is a strong business case in addition to the environmental benefits."

Riephoff, which produces products from fencing and posts to hardwood crane mats, which are used to support the weight of a crane, is very resourceful in its operations. Riephoff buys approximately 98 percent of its timber locally and harvests all its wood responsibly, using consultants - when necessary - and techniques that best ensure the rejuvenation of the trees.

"There's a big misconception that when you cut timber it never grows back, but it's quite the opposite, " said Falconio. "We cut timber in a way that we can continue to do so for years to come. And whatever we cut, we use - the only thing we don't sell is the buzz and sawdust. Scrap pieces get recycled into landscape mulch, sawdust goes for horse bedding and anything that can't be sold we use in our wood burning stove. When managed appropriately, timber is truly a renewable resource."

"In this business, to stay competitive, you have to be as efficient as possible," said Falconio. "This solar system is an extension of the efficiency strategies we employ throughout the business, and with plans for expansion with our aquafarming business, the timing was perfect."