What looked like a quiet delivery at an Evanston, Illinois, storage facility has turned into a sizable clean energy project. Workers have begun installing a 408.32-kilowatt rooftop solar system atop a Public Storage facility, with all of its net electricity going to the grid for use as community solar in Cook County.

The Evanston RoundTable reported that the project came to light after passersby noticed solar panels being unloaded earlier this month near the intersection of Green Bay Road and Simpson Avenue. A city permit posted on the office door confirmed that installation was underway.

Joel Freeman, a retired Grumman-Butkus engineer who serves on the city's Healthy Buildings Technical Committee, told the RoundTable it is "a substantial installation."

Project manager Vinny Busano confirmed the work is underway. He works with Solar Landscape, a New Jersey-based commercial rooftop solar company partnering with Public Storage on installations and subscriber sign-ups.

Rather than powering only the storage facility itself, the project's excess generation is set to flow into the grid as community solar for residents and businesses across Cook County. Community solar programs allow households and businesses to benefit from renewable power without installing their own systems.

Another low-cost entry point to solar savings is to lease panels. You can get leased panels to lower your utility rate by up to 20% for $0-down through Palmetto's Energy Plan.

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Large, flat commercial roofs can become energy assets, and Solar Landscape's model is designed to help property owners generate value from otherwise unused space.

According to the RoundTable, Solar Landscape promotes this kind of setup with a simple promise: "Turn your rooftops into revenue."

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