SUCCESS STORY

Benerofe Properties Corporation Reduces Energy

Bills by 15 Percent with SunPower Solar Solution
For three generations, Benerofe Properties Corporation has developed and managed a diverse portfolio of
properties throughout the eastern US. In March of 2008, Benerofe Properties installed a SunPower solar
system on the rooftop of an office building located at 4 New King Street in White Plains, NY. Thanks to
the monthly savings in energy costs, as well as the benefits to the environment, the family-owned business
has since deployed similar systems on two other New King Street properties. With their flagship building
attracting curious onlookers, the Benerofes are now helping to educate other New York businesses about the
upside to going green.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

BENEFITS

Location: White Plains, NY

Electrical usage offset by 25%

Completed: March 2008

Saves Benerofe Properties more than $11,000 per year

System Size: 50 kW
PV Surface Area: 3,200 sq ft
Number of Panels: 240
Products: SunPower T10 Solar Roof Tile

with clean solar power

SunPower T10 Solar Roof Tiles interlock for secure, rapid

installation with no penetration to the roof

Will reduce carbon emissions by 1,200 tons over 30

years, which is equivalent to planting 280 acres of trees

or not driving 2,724,000 miles.

Tenant Suggests Solar Solution

Benerofe Properties owns commercial buildings in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut,
and Pennsylvania, many of which are home to some of the countrys most prominent
business leaders. The familys 4 New King Street property houses the NY headquarters of
Sprague Energy of New England, one of the largest suppliers of energy and materials in
the East. A chance conversation with one of Spragues execs suggesting that Benerofe
Properties should consider going solar encouraged vice president Mitch Benerofe
to contact Mercury Solar Systems for a consultation and quote. Weve always had a
very high sensitivity to things green, and to energy conservation, says Benerofe. With
the encouragement of our tenant, we spoke with Mercury Solar. They recommended
SunPower panels as being the best solution for us. We were extremely happy with the
services Mercury Solar provided: Their team accurately scoped the project, they were
clean and courteous, and very well organized. All in all, they were excellent installers to
work with.

Im happy to say that since

the SunPower solar system
was installed, were saving
between 10 and 15 percent
on the cost of electricity.
Mitch Benerofe,
Vice President,
Benerofe Properties Corporation

High-Efficiency SunPower Panels Make the Grade

Like many buildings in busy urban areas, the first New King Street property has minimum
rooftop exposure. For that reason, the Mercury Solar team suggested that SunPowers
high-efficiency solar panels which generate as much as 50 percent more power than
conventional solar technologies would be an ideal solution, as fewer panels would
be required to meet tenants energy needs. I was kind of expecting to see these huge
panels being installed, Benerofe says. But when I looked at them they were very
moderate in size, and they couldnt be seen from the street. The SunPower panels offer a
very compact, attractive solution.

Energy Consumption Low, Community Interest High

Since the original solar installation was completed in March of 2008, Benerofe says the
reduction in the buildings energy costs has been as much as 15 percent. At the same
time, the solar panels will help the property shrink its carbon emissions by up to 42 tons a
year. Such obvious benefits have encouraged Benerofe to add SunPower rooftop panels
to two other New King Street properties.
These days, next to the solar power inverters in the lobby at 4 New King Street stands a
large flat-panel television. For ten minutes each hour, a feed from a web-based energy
consumption meter fills the monitor with a full list of statistics describing the positive
outcomes of the buildings SunPower solar solution. Says Benerofe, People are starting
to come in and ask questions about solar; theres always a crowd standing around the
monitor. We hope they respect the fact that weve put this in, and will want to learn more
about green initiatives.

We partner with SunPower on our commercial installations because we can get

the most power out of each of our customers rooftops and my team can get the
most kWs installed per day using the SunPower T10 non-penetrating ballasted
racking system.
Jared Haines, President, Mercury Solar Systems

Mercury Solar Systems, with offices in New Rochelle, NY, Greenwich, CT, Tinton
Falls, NJ and Mays Landing, NJ, designs and installs solar electric and solar thermal
energy systems for commercial and select residential clients in the Tri-State area. The
Mercury team has over 20 years experience in the solar electric field and over 15
years in the electrical contracting business.

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