The 75 kilowatt solar-electric system on the building's rooftop will only provide a small amount of the facility's energy needs. But that's electricity which would otherwise have been purchased from sources like coal, natural gas, or nuclear power.

Site manager Bob Barnes says the primary goal of the system is to extend Johnson & Johnson's efforts at social responsibility. "And we've always looked at environmental concerns as part of that," adds Barnes

Even with federal grants subsidizing about half of the $650-thousand startup costs, Barnes says it could take years for the solar panels to generate enough electricity to earn their keep.

Tom Leyden is vice president of PowerLight, the corporation responsible for installing the system. He says solar power is a long term investment.

"These systems generate electricity for thirty years or more," says Leyden. "So if you can pay for your investment within ten years, and have twenty more years of generation at zero cost, then that's a very good investment."

But Barnes is quick to point out that the rooftop system generates most electricity during peak business hours, when traditional electric costs are highest - because that also happens to be when the sun's at its highest.

"There's a panel readout, and you can tell how much power's being received at any given moment," says Barnes. "At nine in the morning, versus noon, you'll see the thing start to peak towards its nominal rating."

And Barnes says cheap electricity isn't the only advantage to the solar roof. "It actually will increase the longevity of the roof," he says. "When you have this large panel system laid out, it protects it from the elements, from the beating that it takes from the sun and other aspects of weather."

PowerLight's Tom Leyden says the system could double or triple the life of Ortho-McNeil's roof.