Stafford Park's redeveloper, Walters Group, announced last week that it plans to install a 1,026 panel solar array at the complex. Construction of the 6.5-megawatt solar installation should begin this fall - and the project will be located on a former landfill, giving new life to a once-polluted site.
"This is a positive environmental use of the landfill, which will benefit [Ocean County] and its residents," Walters Group partner Joseph Del Duca said.
Up to 70 percent of Stafford Park's electricity needs will be met by the solar array. The facility is becoming greener in other ways, too: Walters Group is seeking Leadership in Energy-Efficient Design, or LEED, certification for the retail and residential structures on the property. A stormwater management system, which will help rainwater filter into the ground, is being put in place, as well.
Multi-use developments of the future may closely resemble Stafford Park, which is being rehabbed with an eye on sustainability and environmental impact. And solar power is a key component of the complex's revitalization.
