Jersey City is on the rise! First, we had the BigBelly solar trash compactors dotting our streets to help clean up the trash and gutters. Then, we had the wacky, and ongoing, Janky Pole episodes. Now we have newly discovered solar panels installed, so far, on some non-Janky Pole utility poles all across our fair city.
Upon closer inspection of one of the solar panels, I was able to make out “Petra Solar” printed on to bottom edge of the panel.
I immediately headed over to PetraSolar.com and found this PR blurp about their utility pole solar panels:
Petra Solar’s shovel-ready systems are operating on streetlight and utility poles in the field and provide unsurpassed value for utilities. The system mounts directly on utility poles and connects to the grid secondary at the pole. The unique mounting system produces a rapid and safe installation. The price of a SunWave™ is comparable to traditional PV technology, yet a SunWave™ solution provides a measurably better return when installed behind the fence.
The Petra panels are also dotting the utility poles around the local ball field.
It is incredibly gratifying to see this smart energy use by Jersey City. Why not harness the power of the sun for free and either add juice to the electric grid or to individually power up streetlights and local area lighting?
I’m not sure why Jersey City is on such a green energy power kick as of late — we’re pretty rough and tumble and blue-collar meat-and-potatoes around here — but it is great to see smart money finally being spent on keen, money-saving things.
Now we just need the city to somehow find a way to sponsor healthy eating choices beyond the periodic farmer’s market. Let’s get some healthy restaurant choices on every street corner so we can all live a longer and more prescient life while we want and wonder at the solar panels around us powering our lights and compacting the trash.