Public Storage, a self-storage company, and Solar Landscape, a commercial and industrial rooftop solar developer, have commenced construction on the first of more than 130 rooftop solar projects that comprise a multi-state community solar partnership.

Together, the 133 community solar installations in Maryland, New Jersey and Illinois will power over 10,000 homes with renewable energy. The 87.53-MWDC community solar portfolio is one of the largest in the nation making affordable renewable energy accessible to low- and moderate-income residents.

The program will let local residents 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 furthers Public Storage’s strong commitments to sustainability and our communities,” said John Sambuco, president of asset management, 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.”

The community solar portfolio includes 21 projects totaling 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. Solar Landscape expects 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 proposed renewable energy installations will be installed on more than 8,000,000 sq ft of Public Storage’s facility rooftops.

The 133 committed solar projects in this partnership represent 13% of the Self Storage’s goal to install solar on more than 1,000 properties by 2025.

“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 Shaun Keegan, Solar Landscape CEO and co-founder Shaun Keegan.