NFI launches NFI Solar

CHERRY HILL, USA: NFI, one of the country’s most diverse supply chain solutions companies, announced that it will expand its business through the creation of a new division, NFI Solar.

NFI Solar will finance, own and manage solar energy systems on commercial properties, with the intent of generating clean sustainable power.

NFI Solar recently completed a 1.323 megawatt (Mw) system on NFI’s Cherry Hill, NJ facility, which houses both NFI’s corporate headquarters and a commercial warehouse.

The solar installation of over 6,000 panels on the 290,000 square foot building will produce approximately 1.4 million kilowatt hours (KwH) yearly, enough to power the needs of 200 homes annually. The installation is expected to realize a savings for NFI of up to 25 percent on the facility’s annual energy costs, which often reach into the six figures.

“As residents across the United States get ready to celebrate Earth Day, our company is proud that we are instituting business solutions that benefit our environment while at the same time providing a boost to local economies,” said Sid Brown, CEO.

“This initial solar power project will create a significant number of jobs in the sustainability industry, and as this division of NFI grows, so will the opportunities for more jobs in the construction and maintenance of solar energy systems across the country.”

NFI Solar will initially focus its efforts on its parent company real estate and large warehouse facilities. In 2010, NFI Solar plans three additional solar energy systems in New Jersey; over the next few years the company will expand its operations across other regions in the company’s national footprint, including Texas and California.

NFI Solar was launched in collaboration with Solare Development Group, a New Jersey-based corporation which manages the construction of solar installations. According to Mitch Trellis of Solare Development, the 130,000 square foot solar installation presented a challenge that required the design of a unique table-like structure to evenly distribute the weight of the panels on columns to protect the facility’s roof.

“NFI’s commercial real estate holdings offers millions of square feet of rooftop property that we intend to maximize before branching out to help other property owners do the same with their facilities,” said Mitch Trellis of Solare Development.