Solar Landscape CEO discusses multistate community solar partnership with Public Storage

Solar Landscape’s multistate community solar partnership with Public Storage to develop 133 rooftops will move rapidly as the nation’s leading self-storage owner aims to install solar on 1,000 rooftops by 2025, according to the company’s 2023 Sustainability Report.

“Community solar on commercial rooftops is one of America's most shovel-ready clean energy options,” Shaun Keegan, Solar Landscape CEO and co-founder, told NPM. “They avoid interconnection delays and permitting issues, so we measure our deployments in months, not years.”

Prior to the partnership, Public Storage had installed solar on more than 200 properties. Solar Landscape's 87.5 MW portfolio commitment accounts for 13 percent of their rooftops nationwide, NPM previously reported.

“We've already begun construction in Maryland and are looking forward to beginning construction in Illinois very soon and New Jersey next year. Based on our deployment schedule, we expect many of these projects to go live in 2024.”

Solar Landscape will be the long-term owner and operator of the projects—managing the full life cycle of each facility, Keegan said.

The partnership leverages community solar programs in each state: Illinois Shines, the New Jersey Community Solar Program and Maryland's Community Solar Pilot Program. The projects are estimated to power 10,000 homes with renewable energy with a focus on low-to-moderate income (LMI) residents.

Public Storage has thousands of locations across the nation, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Texas, and Washington State.

Keegan said the Solar Landscape is developing projects in several other states with existing community solar programs and is active in the push for other states to adopt community solar.

“We are particularly interested in showing regulators and policy makers the substantial extra value that comes from siting solar on commercial and industrial rooftops close to where electricity is consumed,” Keegan said.

Public Storage did not return seeking comment.

*This story was originally published exclusively for NPM subscribers last month.


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