The hot-ticket item in self-storage design right now is energy generation. With so much bare roofing on self-storage sites, a number of operators are installing solar panels on their buildings, selling excess energy to the local utility.

Quartz Drive Self Storage in Auburn, Calif., incorporated number of eco-friendly features as part of its design. The topography allowed for a two-story, climate-control building. The owner installed solar panels to generate electricity and installed cutting-edge technology in the landscaping. The facility's newly developed irrigation system places the water right at the plants' roots so there is very little evaporation. This photo shows the office exterior and part of the lovely landscape design.

Another growing trend is “green” roofs, or living roofs, which involve the installation of living plants on the roof top. The benefit is the roof will last a lot longer and reduce the amount of rain-water runoff. Using a green roof in combination with solar panels will improve the efficiency of the panels by helping them stay cooler.

Another trend is the use of recycled materials in the construction of new self-storage facilities. Almost all steel used now in storage buildings has recycled content. Fly ash, a by-product of coal burning, is used in concrete. Various other products contain recycled material as well. And because more people are using recycled products, the cost to produce them is getting cheaper.

Photo courtesy of architectural firm ARE Associates.