The american company Solar Mosaic has opened a new round of investment on their site Their innovative business model marries multi-million project finance, crowdfunding and investment. In simple terms: Instead of seeking financing from bankers, pension funds or investment banks it connects individual investors with solar energy projects. People can invest anything between a few tens of dollars and a couple thousands. The payments that result from selling the electricity give each investor slow, constant and profitable returns. But above all it means their money is not invested by a bank or fund in something they disapprove of (say cluster bombs, drugs or sub-prime mortgages). Instead it’s a carefully and ethical investment. In their own words:
The fundamentals of solar makes it an attractive component of a diversified investment portfolio: reliable technology, predictable energy output, and stable cash flows. Every Mosaic project is carefully vetted and structured to minimize risk while maximizing benefits to investors and to the planet.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=kJaI79r9L5M
With treasury notes and savings accounts barely keeping up with inflation (1% – 2% yield) it’s no wonder people are investing in renewable energy which promises returns between 4% – 6%. In the UK we have similar initiatives like Abundance Generation or Energy Share but we will cover them in another article. In the future, we are hoping to incorporate these investment opportunities to our renewable energy search engine. Stay tuned!