Solar Landscape has partnered with a national self-storage company on a portfolio of more than 130 rooftop community solar projects across the United States. The developer is working with Public Storage on the multistate initiative and just began construction on the first of the projects.
Together, the 133 community solar installations in Maryland, New Jersey and Illinois will power more than 10,000 homes with renewable energy. The 87.53 MWdc clean energy portfolio is one of the largest in the United States, making affordable renewable energy accessible to low- and moderate-income (LMI) residents.
The program will allow local community residents to subscribe to nearby solar installations located on Public Storage’s rooftops. Subscribers will receive discounted electricity, often with additional savings for LMI households. Community solar expands access to renewable energy for those who are unable to install solar panels for reasons such as high costs, lack of roof control, or insufficient sunlight. Public Storage’s rooftop projects will lower energy bills for subscribers, saving residents millions of dollars per year on electricity costs.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with a forward-thinking company like Public Storage on this nation-leading partnership to expand solar accessibility to underserved communities, particularly low-income families,” said Solar Landscape CEO and cofounder Shaun Keegan.
The nation-leading community solar portfolio includes 21 projects spanning 13.2 MW that were announced on July 27 by the Illinois Power Agency (IPA) as part of its Community-Driven Community Solar tranche of the Illinois Shines program. The 21 projects will serve nearly 1,500 households.
Public Storage’s 57 low-income focused community solar installations in Maryland will serve nearly 2,600 homes, many of them LMI families, making it the largest portfolio of projects from a single company in the Maryland Community Solar Pilot Program’s LMI subcategory. These projects will save Maryland residents nearly $1,000,000 per year on their energy bills.
Public Storage plans to dedicate up to 44 of its properties in Illinois to community solar including the 21 approved by the IPA, and plans to dedicate another 32 properties in New Jersey. The company and Solar Landscape worked in close collaboration on site selection, solar system design, financing options and state program applications to maximize the effectiveness of the company’s rooftops. The proposed renewable energy installations will be installed on more than 8,000,000 square feet of Public Storage’s facility rooftops.
The community solar projects further Public Storage’s commitment to sustainability, which focuses on creating long-term resilience, growth, and value for the company’s communities, customers, employees, and additional stakeholders. The 133 committed solar projects in this partnership represent 13% of the company’s commitment to install solar on more than 1,000 properties by 2025.
“Community solar furthers Public Storage’s strong commitments to sustainability and our communities,” said John Sambuco, president of asset management at Public Storage. “We are providing affordable renewable energy for low- and moderate-income residents, reducing our collective carbon impact on the environment, and converting non-used rooftop area into socioeconomically productive space for our company.”
Tags: Community Solar, Public Storage, rooftop solar, Solar Landscape
