When Leased Retail Locations Need Access to Solar
Dollar Tree partnered with King Energy to deliver low-cost, clean energy to dozens of retail locations across California, reinforcing brand sustainability while protecting margins for a highly value-oriented national retailer. For retailers operating at scale, energy is a material operating expense, yet most leased locations offer little control over on-site infrastructure or utility strategy. This partnership demonstrates how large tenants can achieve meaningful ESG impact without CapEx, operational disruption, or changes to existing lease structures, through an approach that simply makes financial sense.
As energy costs rise and California’s NEM 3.0 framework reshapes the economics of solar, Dollar Tree faced increasing exposure to utility volatility across a diverse portfolio of leased stores. Maintaining predictable energy costs is critical to operational consistency, budgeting, and long-term margin protection, particularly for a retailer built on affordability. King Energy provided a scalable solution that works within the realities of multi-tenant commercial property, aligning property owners and tenants around shared value. By accessing locally generated solar energy through existing properties, Dollar Tree is able to stabilize costs, advance sustainability commitments, and support communities without diverting capital or internal resources.
A No-CapEx Energy Program Built for Multi-Tenant Portfolios
King Energy’s multi-tenant solar platform enables national retailers like Dollar Tree to access affordable clean energy through partnerships with local commercial property owners. King Energy installs, owns, and operates the solar systems, while property owners receive long-term rent and tenants receive discounted energy, all without capital investment from either party. This structure removes traditional barriers to solar adoption for leased retail portfolios and creates a model that makes operational and financial sense at scale.
The program is supported by King Energy’s enterprise-grade billing platform, OneBill™, which simplifies energy allocation, reporting, and payments across dozens of locations. Rather than managing fragmented utility bills or site-specific arrangements, Dollar Tree benefits from a consistent, portfolio-wide energy experience. The result is measurable cost savings, reduced emissions, and a repeatable framework for growth across California. By partnering with King Energy, Dollar Tree demonstrates that sustainability and affordability are not competing priorities. Instead, smart energy strategy becomes a long-term advantage that delivers predictable savings and credible ESG progress, through a partnership model built to last.
“Not only have we been able to materially lower our energy expenses, but we’ve also significantly reduced our carbon footprint (…) Our partnership with King Energy ensures long-term cost savings that can be reinvested into enhancing our customer experience and improving our operations.”
-Joshua D. Witte, RFMP | Director – Energy and Sustainability
