Building Infrastructure Communities Own
Most solar companies extract value. We transfer it. Energy infrastructure shouldn't belong to corporations—it should belong to the people it serves.
Solar Became an Extraction Industry
The solar industry has a problem: it's built on the same extractive model it claims to replace.
Traditional solar companies mark up equipment 100-200%, hide costs behind complex financing, and maximize short-term profits. Utility-scale developers build massive solar farms that benefit out-of-state investors, not the communities hosting the infrastructure.
The result? Energy transitions that replicate the same wealth extraction patterns as fossil fuels. Profits flow upward and outward. Communities get cleaner electrons but no ownership, no control, no long-term wealth.
We think infrastructure should work differently.
Transparent Pricing + Community Ownership
Cost Plus Pricing
We publish exactly what things cost. Equipment at cost + 15%. Installation at cost + 15%. No hidden fees. No sales games.
Just like Cost Plus Drugs shows you actual medication costs + markup, we show you actual infrastructure costs. This isn't charity—it's a better business model.
Zero Upfront Cost
We deploy solar + battery systems residents can't afford to buy outright. They pay us for electricity at transparent rates below retail. We handle everything: installation, maintenance, operations.
Ownership Transfer
Once investors receive fair returns (15% IRR over 7-10 years), 85% of long-term profits transfer to community energy trusts. We retain 15% + operations contracts.
Communities eventually own the infrastructure on their roofs and in their neighborhoods.
Built by Someone Who Helped Build the Industry
Cost Plus Energy was founded by someone who spent years building teams at 3Degrees, one of the leading renewable energy and carbon market companies.
As a recruiter, I didn't just fill positions—I learned the business from the inside out. Every role I hired for taught me something new: how project finance actually works, what utilities need from distributed energy partners, how renewable energy credits get structured and sold, what makes grid integration succeed or fail.
"Why do we structure PPAs this way?"
"What makes a good offtake agreement?"
"How do corporate buyers evaluate renewable energy credits?"
"What's the actual cost breakdown on a solar project?"
After hundreds of conversations with energy professionals, the gap became clear: the infrastructure models that work for corporate buyers don't work for communities. The transparent pricing that should exist in energy markets doesn't.
So I built a company that fixes both.
What I Bring
Deep network in renewable energy markets (project developers, utilities, corporate buyers). Understanding of how teams actually execute infrastructure projects. Knowledge of REC/EAC markets and corporate procurement. Commitment to transparent pricing.
What We're Building
Distributed solar + battery infrastructure communities own. Aggregated renewable energy credit sales to corporate buyers. Transparent pricing model that makes community ownership economically viable. Replicable template for infrastructure that doesn't extract.
From Concept to Community Ownership
Deploy Infrastructure Years 0-7
- Install distributed solar + battery systems at zero upfront cost
- Residents buy electricity at transparent cost-plus rates
- Aggregate systems into virtual power plants earning grid service revenue
- Build trust through published costs and visible local infrastructure
Fair Returns Years 7-10
- Investors receive transparent 15% IRR
- No hidden fees, no extraction, just patient infrastructure capital
- Community sees exactly where money flows (published annually)
Transfer Ownership Years 7+
- 85% of profits transfer to community energy trusts
- Residents can buy systems individually or form cooperatives
- Trust funds energy bill assistance, weatherization, and expansion
- We retain 15% + operations contract (sustainable long-term business)
The Result: Communities control energy infrastructure generating millions in annual benefits. This isn't charity. It's wealth transfer.
Better Business Model, Better Outcomes
Traditional solar companies need 50-100% gross margins to support expensive sales teams, complex financing structures, high customer acquisition costs, and shareholder return expectations.
Traditional Solar Needs
- Expensive sales teams and commissions
- Complex financing structures
- High customer acquisition costs ($3-5k per customer)
- Shareholder/PE return expectations
- Marketing and advertising budgets
We Eliminate These Costs
- Transparent pricing builds trust (60-80% lower acquisition)
- Community engagement model leverages social proof
- Patient capital accepts infrastructure returns
- Published costs create viral marketing
- Word-of-mouth, not expensive ads
Revenue Stack Traditional Solar Can't Access
Individual rooftop systems can't efficiently sell renewable energy credits to corporate buyers. But aggregated distributed generation can.
We pool renewable energy credits from 200+ systems and sell them to corporate sustainability teams who need local, community-benefiting renewable energy. This revenue stream:
- Improves project returns (faster path to community ownership)
- Gives corporates better ESG story (community wealth-building, not distant solar farms)
- Leverages existing relationships in corporate renewable procurement
Traditional solar companies leave this money on the table. We don't.
The Result: We can charge less, transfer ownership, and still build a sustainable business. Lower costs → community trust → replicable model → long-term infrastructure value.
Infrastructure Principles
Transparency builds trust
Publish costs. Show your work. Let communities verify.
Ownership matters
Communities should control infrastructure they depend on.
Fair beats extractive
Small, transparent margins scale better than hidden markups.
Infrastructure takes time
We're building for decades, not quarters.
Local beats distant
Solar on your roof beats solar farms 100 miles away.
Replicable beats unique
One city proves it works. Ten cities prove it scales.
Replicable Model for Community Energy Infrastructure
We're starting with distributed solar + battery systems because the economics work today and the need is urgent.
But the model applies to any infrastructure where transparent pricing and community ownership create competitive advantage: EV charging networks, community broadband, even water infrastructure.
Our 10-Year Vision:
- Distributed energy infrastructure in 10+ cities
- $100M+ in community-owned assets
- Proven template for transparent infrastructure pricing
- Regulatory framework that makes community ownership the default, not the exception
We're not trying to be the biggest solar company. We're trying to prove infrastructure doesn't have to be extractive.
Be Part of the Model
For Utilities & Municipalities
Explore partnership opportunities for community-scale distributed energy programs.
Schedule ConversationFor Impact Investors
Patient capital for infrastructure that builds community wealth. 15% IRR with transparent governance.
Investment Overview