The Parish of Saint Theresa announces the completion of a rooftop solar power system that is hosted on its Faith Formation Center at 450 Radio Road in Little Egg Harbor, N.J. Saint Theresa 's Church is part of the Catholic Diocese of Trenton, N.J., which spans Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties.

Solis Partners, a leading provider of commercial solar power systems, owns and operates the 102-kilowatt rooftop solar system that will offset approximately 90 percent of the annual electricity usage of the parish's 22,000-square facility. Construction began in April of 2012.

The system was installed as part of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between Solis Partners and the Parish of Saint Theresa. The agreement allows the church to receive all the benefits of solar electricity without any upfront cost.

Many businesses, churches and schools adopt solar without investing in a project through the PPA model. As a project host, or Solis PPA client, organizations enjoy reduced energy costs compared to current market utility rates. Solis' PPA clients lock in predictable electricity rates to protect against rising energy costs. The Solis PPA is a unique, full-service solar option that includes financing, design, installation, monitoring and maintenance of a project.

Under the PPA agreement, Solis Partners will retain ownership of the system for 15 years, during which time it will maintain and operate the system. The clean electricity generated will be sold to host clients, such as Saint Theresa's, at a discount to their current utility cost. After 15 years, the Parish of Saint Theresa will assume ownership of the system and receive free electricity for the remainder of the system's life, which is more than 25 years.

"We are happy to announce the completion of Saint Theresa's solar installation," said Jamie Hahn, co-founder and managing director of Manasquan, N.J.-based Solis Partners. "By choosing the PPA route, Saint Theresa's is able to take advantage of solar with a no cost approach, which is great for churches and non-profits. Now they can better focus on growing and serving their parish."

The system consists of 399 solar panels that are expected to produce approximately 119,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity in the first year of operation. This equates to the reduction of more than 180,000 pounds of CO2 emissions, which is the equivalent of offsetting the power demand of 10 residential homes or removing 16 cars from the road each year.

"Installing solar was a very important decision for our parish," said the Rev. K. Michael Lambeth of the Saint Theresa's Parish. "By producing energy from a renewable source, we're fulfilling a commitment to the environment and setting a good example for the community that we serve. We're also able to save money on operating costs, which provides added resources to better serve our parishioners."