Real estate holder energizes solar on large warehouses in Pennsylvania

A real estate company called STAG Industrial has switched on rooftop solar at three large warehouses in Pennsylvania, adding 9 megawatts of solar power to its properties. The panels were installed by Dimension Energy, with help from Black Bear Energy. One of the sites is a distribution warehouse in O'Hara Township.

This is part of a bigger push by STAG to put solar on its buildings across the country. The company now has 49.5 megawatts of rooftop solar spread across 29 properties in 10 states, including projects in New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, and elsewhere in the Northeast. Some of these are "community solar" projects, meaning nearby homes and businesses can subscribe to the power rather than the building owner using it directly.

This news is about a commercial property owner's solar investments, not a program homeowners can join. But it points to a trend worth knowing about: community solar is expanding in several Northeast states, including New Jersey and Maryland, where STAG's projects are located. If you're curious about getting solar-generated electricity without installing panels on your own roof, it's worth checking whether your state has a community solar program open to homeowners, since availability and rules vary quite a bit from state to state.