Metro Energy Solutions was contracted by the County of Bergen to develop and oversee the installation of a combined heat and power plant at the Bergen County Correctional facility located in Hackensack, New Jersey.

Metro Energy Solutions evaluated a number of options for a cogeneration installation for the plant.  Based on the electric and thermal loads at the site, Metro Energy recommended the installation of a 1300 kW cogeneration plant utilizing a natural gas engine.  Maximum recovery will be made of the waste heat from the engines. The new gas engine generator will operate in parallel with the local utility source, therefore, the new generator switchgear will provide a highly reliable source of power, having both the utility and the engine generator connected to it.

Based on the Metro Energy design the new cogeneration plant will save approximately $12.5 million over the course of running the plant for 25 years while adding an additional level of redundancy. In addition, Metro Energy applied for and received a grant of $800,000 under the NJ Clean Energy program to help offset the cost of building the plant.

Metro Energy assisted the County of Bergen in selecting a contractor through a RFP process. The cogeneration plant went on line producing both electric and thermal energy in March 2006.