Solar panels to power Mall at Short Hills

The Mall at Short Hills has begun the municipal permitting process and has registered with the state’s Solar Renewable Energy Credits Program.

“We’re committed to operating our center in a sustainable manner,” said Jamie Cox, general manager of the 256,000-square-foot luxury mall. “In October we completed the conversion of approximately 8,700 fluorescent lamps inside the center and our parking garages to LED, extending the life of each lamp from three [or] four years to 10, and reducing energy usage by more than 40 percent. We’re now installing LED fixtures in the exterior parking areas. When we complete that work by the end of November, the combined lighting projects alone will achieve annual savings equivalent to the amount of energy required to power 115 average New Jersey homes for one year.”

In 2013, as part of the center’s sustainability initiative, a fiber-optic infrastructure was installed throughout the center to help effectively manage energy use, Cox says. “That was a game changer, and today we can monitor, analyze and adjust our systems in real time, 24-7,” said Cox. “Our lighting upgrades and the use of clean, renewable energy generated from state-of-the-art photovoltaic panels right here on our property will build on those capabilities.”