Solar Landscape Announces Community Solar Projects Saving Lower-Income Residents 20% Annually on Electricity Bills
Solar Landscape Announces Community Solar Projects Saving Lower-Income Residents 20% Annually on Electricity Bills
More Than 3,000 Households – Mostly Lower-Income – Being Powered by 100% Renewable Energy While Significantly Lowering Utility Bills
Asbury Park, NJ – August 9, 2022 – Solar Landscape, New Jersey’s largest community solar owner and operator, announced today that its statewide community solar projects have saved its low- and moderate-income (LMI) customers an average of 20% on the cost of their electricity usage.
“We know the guaranteed savings from our community solar projects make a big difference to hardworking New Jersey families, giving more residents a choice they can feel good about both for the environmental and financial benefits,” said Solar Landscape CEO Shaun Keegan.
Through community solar, renters and property owners can power their home with renewable energy without installing solar panels.
“We look forward to welcoming thousands more into the community solar program soon,” added Keegan.
Since July 2021[i], the company’s community solar projects saved all subscribers an average of 17% on their monthly electricity costs, with lower-income families saving even more – 20% on average, or about $160 annually. The fixed savings for residents will amount to more than $20 million over the next 20 years.
The company’s 54 site, 70-megawatt (MW) portfolio is the largest in the nation serving lower-income subscribers. Solar Builder magazine named four of the company’s eight active community solar projects Community Solar Project of the Year.
The projects, which will eventually power over 11,000 homes, were approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities through its Community Solar Energy Pilot Program. The program allows residents to subscribe to guaranteed discounts from locally-produced solar energy delivered by their utility company, lowering energy costs and expanding access to renewable energy.
To date, the projects have generated enough renewable power to equate to over 1,100,000 million gallons of gasoline burned.
Perth Amboy resident Luis Acosta is a Solar Landscape community solar customer who says the monthly cost savings are not the only reason he supports the program. “I signed up for community solar because I want a sustainable world for my kids to grow up in,” said Acosta. “I live in a townhouse, so I was excited to learn I could still power my home with solar energy, lowering my energy bills and my carbon footprint at the same time. I tell my friends and neighbors to sign up because it’s easy to do, they can save money, and it protects the environment.”
“New Jersey’s community solar program has made renewable energy more accessible and affordable to thousands of residents,” said Richard Lawton, Executive Director of the New Jersey Sustainable Business Council. “The program is playing an increasingly important role in helping New Jersey reach its goal of100 percent clean energy. By replacing dirty fossil fuels with renewables, community solar is at the vanguard of the transition to a healthier, more equitable clean energy economy.”
Solar Landscape and Community Solar: Clean Energy Equity, Savings and Workforce Development
Through the New Jersey Community Solar Energy Pilot Program, Solar Landscape has 70 MW of community 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. The projects have generated more than 22.63 gigawatt hours of emissions-free electricity to date, the equivalent of avoiding 9,790 metric tons of CO2 being put into the local air.
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.
Last week, Solar Landscape announced that it had completed construction on its first installation as part of Year Two of the state program.
In 2021, the company cut the ribbon with Governor Phil Murphy on the New Jersey’s first community solar project.
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 100 people and has over 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.
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[i] Solar Landscape customer savings data from July 2021-March 2022.
