The Frog and The Peach in New Brunswick has become the first restaurant in Central Jersey to install solar panels on its rooftop in an effort to save energy and the environment. 58 panels, which now adorn the roof of the building, are expected to generate approximately 20-25 percent of the restaurant’s electricity while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 24,000 pounds per year. The Frog and Peach worked with REC Solar, the nation’s leading installer of small commercial and residential solar electric systems. The panels work by converting the sun’s energy into direct current electricity. Inverters installed in the building convert the direct current electricity to alternating current electricity which is the type of current used by businesses and homes.

When the restaurant’s panels are generating electricity, the electric meter in the building slows down and even runs backwards when more power is being generated than is being consumed. This sends the excess power into the area’s power grid and lowers the monthly utility bill.

Betsy Alger, owner of The Frog and The Peach explains, “Installing the solar panels will allow us to not have to pass along the increase in the cost of energy to our customers. Energy prices have gone up about 25 percent over the past year. We don’t want to pass that cost on to those who eat in our restaurant.”

Within its 30 year lifetime, the solar system will produce enough power to:

Watch 1,829,165 hours of big screen television
Make 2,591,317 pounds of Sweet Potato fries
Make 1,036,527 Seared Yellowfin Tuna entrees
Refrigerate 50,997,109 beers