Solar Landscape, New Jersey’s largest community solar owner and operator (and winner of a Solar Builder 2021 Project of the Year award), completed construction on the first of 46 community solar projects approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) in Year 2 of the Community Solar Energy Pilot Program.
New Jersey’s first completed Year 2 project (above) is located on an Extra Space Storage site in Neptune, one of 10 sites owned by the company that is hosting community solar projects with Solar Landscape. Extra Space Storage’s total 6.5-megawatt (MW) community solar portfolio will cover 800,000 square feet of rooftop solar that will power over 1,400 nearby homes.
“We are thrilled to be involved in this community solar project. At Extra Space Storage, we have been equipping our locations with solar for over a decade, and this new effort to bring solar power to the local community is an exciting development,” said McKall Morris, Senior Manager of Communications and Sustainability, Extra Space Storage. “Partnering with Solar Landscape on this project aligns perfectly with our commitments to be good corporate citizens and to participate in environmental initiatives that are positive for our communities, customers, employees, and shareholders.”
“Thanks to Governor Murphy, the NJBPU, community leaders across the state and our installers, New Jersey has become a national model for clean energy equity,” said Solar Landscape CEO Shaun Keegan. “The promise of community solar in New Jersey has arrived, and it’s bringing guaranteed savings to residents at a time when many other costs are increasing. We’re proud to be partnering with Extra Space Storage on this project, which connects business leaders with the local community and saves residents money.”
NJBPU’s Community Solar Energy Pilot Program, which approved a total of 105 Year 2 community solar projects as part of Governor Murphy’s clean energy agenda, expands access to renewable energy for those who previously could not install solar panels for reasons such as high costs, lack of roof control, or a shaded property.
As part of the community solar program, Solar Landscape has partnered with dozens of schools, nonprofits and community organizations, and has educated nearly 1,000 New Jersey residents and students about renewable energy careers. Along with Sustainable Jersey City, an environmental education nonprofit, the company awarded $20,000 in scholarships to high school seniors through its Community Sustainability Challenge scholarships. Solar Landscape also partners with nonprofits such as Asbury Park’s Interfaith Neighbors and the Affordable Housing Alliance to build the community support necessary to make community solar projects successful.
Through the New Jersey Community Solar Energy Pilot Program, Solar Landscape has 70 MW of solar energy built or under construction. The company owns and operates more than half – eight out of 14 – of New Jersey’s active community solar projects, making it the nation’s largest clean energy portfolio designated for low- and moderate-income (LMI) households.
Tags: Community Solar, Solar Landscape
