Extra Space Storage and Solar Landscape Energize Award-Winning Community Solar Project
Extra Space Storage Community Solar Portfolio to Bring Affordable Clean Energy to Over 700 Low- and Moderate-Income New Jersey Families
Neptune, NJ – January 9, 2023 – Extra Space Storage and Solar Landscape, New Jersey’s largest community solar owner and operator, today announced that the solar developer has connected the first of its award-winning community solar projects to the grid in Neptune, NJ. It marks the second of 46 projects in the state approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) in Year 2 of the Community Solar Energy Pilot Program.
The project is located on an Extra Space Storage facility, one of 10 New Jersey sites owned by the national self-storage leader that is hosting community solar projects with Solar Landscape.
In December the project was named Solar Builder’s “U.S. Community Solar Project of the Year”, a recognition Solar Landscape has earned two years in a row.
Residents in Neptune City, Neptune Township, Asbury Park City, Avon-by-the-Sea, Belmar Boro, Bradley Beach Boro, Ocean Township, Tinton Falls, and Wall Township can subscribe today to use solar energy generated on the Extra Space Storage facility rooftop at a guaranteed discount. New Jerseyans in hundreds of other towns across the state can also sign up to receive lower-cost solar energy soon from one of Solar Landscape’s 45 other community solar projects.
Community Solar Is a Team Effort
Solar Landscape’s community solar installations are the product of collaboration between the public sector, private sector and nearby nonprofits.
“I’m thrilled to see the swift rollout of the Community Solar Program continue, especially locally,” said New Jersey State Senator Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth. “The activation of this project will extend solar access to Monmouth County residents who would otherwise be unable to benefit from clean energy, while also making crucial progress toward achieving New Jersey’s clean energy goals. Thank you to Solar Landscape, and everyone who worked to bring this project to fruition.”
“We’re proud to serve the communities where we do business in more ways than one. By meeting customers’ self-storage needs while also powering nearby homes, our facilities show how we can do right by our customers, our communities, and the environment,” said McKall Morris, Communications and Sustainability Manager for Extra Space Storage.
“We look forward to welcoming even more residents to community solar, and it’s especially gratifying when those residents are in our neighborhood,” said Shaun Keegan, CEO of Asbury Park-based Solar Landscape. “With the support of a commercial real estate leader like Extra Storage Space, we can provide cost-saving solar power to residents, many of whom thought they’d never be able to use solar energy. Just a year ago, we received approval on this project and now it’s providing a valuable benefit to the residents here; we look forward to energizing even more projects very soon.”
“In Asbury Park and Neptune, community solar is providing job opportunities and affordable clean energy,” said Semaj Vanzant, Sr., Development Manager of the Launch Center at Asbury Park-based Interfaith Neighbors. “We have seen first-hand how New Jersey’s clean energy economy can benefit residents. One of our SOAR alumni completed Solar Landscape’s solar installation training program and is now a full-time employee with their company. We’re also pleased that nearby residents can take advantage of the program to lower their energy costs and fight climate change at the same time.”
“Climate change affects us all, but not everyone has had equal access to clean energy,” said Randi Moore, CEO of Neptune-based Affordable Housing Alliance. “Together with Solar Landscape and the state’s community solar program, we save on utility costs and empower our affordable housing residents to join the nation’s clean energy transition.”
Extra Space Storage and Solar Landscape: Creating Solar Access for Over 1,400 New Jersey Homes
Extra Space Storage’s New Jersey community solar projects created local jobs for installers who placed solar panels across 800,000 square feet of rooftop. The portfolio will generate 6.5 MW of renewable energy to power more than 1,400 nearby homes, most of which are low- and moderate-income families.
In its first year, the portfolio is projected to generate 7,460,646 kwH of energy for residents, avoiding more than 5,000 tons of carbon emissions from being emitted from fossil fuel generation.
Residents who subscribe to receive the power will save at least 21% guaranteed on their electricity usage. The discounts would begin appearing on community solar subscribers’ first utility bill in some cases, although in other cases they may take up to 90 days once a project is activated.
The active Neptune community solar site, which will generate approximately 500 kilowatts of energy, was approved by the NJBPU just over a year ago and is now providing solar energy to nearby residents. The quick activation demonstrates that community solar is New Jersey’s most shovel-ready clean energy option to meet the state’s emissions reduction goals. The project was also the first in the state to complete construction, in August.
The community solar program enables the commercial sector to expand energy equity by allowing community solar subscribers – the majority of whom are low- to- moderate-income (LMI) – to power their homes with renewable energy and participate in the fight against climate change.
Community Solar: Bringing Clean Energy Equity to New Jersey
Community solar allows residents to subscribe to a nearby solar installation that is often hosted on a commercial property. The residents receive the electricity generated at a discounted rate, with extra savings for low- to moderate-income households. The NJBPU’s Community Solar Energy Pilot Program, which is 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.
Through the New Jersey Community Solar Energy Pilot Program’s Year 1 and 2, Solar Landscape has 70 MW of solar energy built or under construction. The company currently owns and operates nine – representing about half – of New Jersey’s active community solar projects, making it the nation’s largest clean energy portfolio serving LMI households. The projects have generated more than 36.28 gigawatt hours of emissions-free electricity to date[i], the equivalent of over 5,500 gas-powered cars driven for one year.
Residents interested in learning more about community solar can visit www.SolarLandscape.com.
About Solar Landscape
Based in Asbury Park, Solar Landscape is a leading full-service developer, designer, installer, owner, and operator of community solar and solar energy solutions for the commercial/industrial, municipal, public school and non-profit marketplaces. The company employs more than 120 people and has more than 200 megawatts of solar energy projects completed or under construction. For more about Solar Landscape, visit www.solarlandscape.com or check us out on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram.
About Extra Space Storage
Extra Space Storage Inc., headquartered in Salt Lake City, is a real estate investment trust, and a member of the S&P 500. As of September 30,2022, the Company owned and/or operated 2,327 self-storage properties, which comprise approximately 1.6 million units and approximately 175.1 million square feet of rentable storage space. The Company is the second largest owner and/or operator of self-storage properties in the United States and is the largest self-storage management company in the United States. The company has won several industry awards for their sustainability efforts. Learn more on ir.extraspace.com.
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[i] Total energy generated by Solar Landscape community solar projects through November 2022.
