SolarShare’s Solar Bonds – Impact Investing for Clean Energy in Ontario

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SolarShare is Canada’s leading renewable energy co-op, making it easy for investors to earn an impressive return while doing something good for the planet. SolarShare develops commercial scale solar energy installations so that any Ontario resident can invest in them.

‘Impact Investing’ is the latest trend in finance. There are a couple of Canadian institutions that offer ‘green bonds’, but these have only been offered to institutional investors. There are very few of these investment opportunities available to the retail investor. SolarShare is one of the first to address this by offering 5-year ‘Solar Bonds’ that earn a 5% annual interest rate. SolarShare projects convert energy from the sun into clean electricity. The Ontario government buys the electricity for 20 years, creating a stable revenue stream from which the co-op can pays its members.
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SolarShare’s mission is not just to raise money for projects.  The long-term goal is to raise awareness in order to increase the rate of renewable energy deployment. In regions with high-levels of community ownership, the rate of uptake and deployment of renewable energy is also higher.

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SolarShare projects range in size from 10kW rural systems to 600kW arrays on industrial rooftops. From Manitoulin Island to Mississauga, the projects are all generating clean power and earning a 5% return to our members. SolarShare’s completed portfolio is over 2 MW of installed capacity and valued at over $10 Million. There are another 6MW of projects totaling over $20 Million in the pipeline for 2014 and 2015.