
# 22 interesting reads from Raise Green


A summer of working from home has led to an increase in team Zoom calls, time spent out in nature, Netflix binging, and a lot more time to read some good books! While our summer has been quite busy with the [launch of our investor marketplace](https://marketplace.raisegreen.com/offers/offersList), communications with prospective Originators, and the ongoing growth of the Raise Green team, we took some time to compile a list of the books our team members have been reading to educate and entertain themselves.

Check out our list below! Feel free to start a conversation with any of us about the list, or shoot us any recommendations you have through [info@raisegreen.com](mailto:info@raisegreen.com). 

To get the most up-to-date information on Raise Green content, please sign up to our email [list](http://eepurl.com/dFst3T) and follow any of our social accounts ([Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/raisegreeninc/), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/RaiseGreenInc), [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/RaiseGreenInc/), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/raisegreen/)). 


#### **Franz Hochstrasser**
**Behave: The Biology of Humans at our Best and Worst - Robert Sapolsky**
If you want to know why people are Republican, it may be because they have a hyperactive amygdala. This exceptionally detailed and yet relatable tour de force into brain chemistry is the best explanation and examination of our human behavior and impulses that I’ve come across.

**The Beautiful Struggle: A Memoir - Ta Nehisi Coates  **A gorgeously written first-hand account of a young black man’s experience growing up in urban Baltimore. Rife with grit, heartbreak and the hardships as well as some gentle joys of adolescence, this book was gripping.

**The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How our Government Segregated America - Richard Rothstein**
In this powerful assessment of American urban history, we see how from the 1920s up to the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act, the laws and policy decisions passed by many local, state and Federal governments unconstitutionaly contributed to de jure racial segregation in housing, planning and zoning. This legacy of structural racism continues to contribute to persistent racial unrest today.

**All We Can Save - Multiple Authors, edited by Ayanna Johnson and Elizabeth Wilkerson**
Looking forward to this coming out on September 22. A book of “provocative and illuminating essays from women at the forefront of the climate movement who are harnessing truth, courage, and solutions to lead humanity forward.” https://www.allwecansave.earth/

#### Matthew Moroney
**Skin in the Game - Nassim Nicholas Taleb**
The latest from the author who inspired me to study data, Taleb tells us that if you don’t have skin in the game, you shouldn’t be playing. Raise Green helps us all get in the game as investors or project creators.

**Dancing in the Streets - Barbara Ehrenreich
**
Using the history of collective dance, we learn how systems of power try to stamp out spontaneous celebrations. But exuberance cannot be held back. In confronting the challenges of our projects and the problems they stare down, we take solace in the beauty of spontaneous celebrations with our friends, neighbors, and strangers.

**Emergent Strategy - Adrienne Maree Brown**
Healing for self and communities amidst the challenges and elations of activism, inspired by esteemed science fiction author Octavia Butler. All our collective - originators, investors, friends, mentors, and believers - need to stay strong and heal in the fight against global warming, air pollution, and income inequality.

#### Jackie Logan

**Where the Crawdads Sing - by Delia Owens**
A window in life beautiful marshes of North Carolina in the 1950's and 1960's, from the vantage point of a girl, Kya, left to bring herself up for the most part from the age of 6, and how she navigates incredibly poor, uneducated, with no family support. Weaving back and forth in time, around an unsolved murder in the town. Captivating, moving, and inspirational.

#### Megan Schleck

**The Vanishing Half - Brit Bennett**
In this fictional NYT best seller, Brit Bennett shares a story of twin sisters, inseparable as children, who ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one black and one white. Clever and timely, it was a riveting read.

**How to be an Antiracist- Ibram X. Kendi**
Ibram X. Kendi's concept of antiracism reenergizes and reshapes the conversation about racial justice in America--but even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. Instead of working with the policies and system we have in place, Kendi asks us to think about what an antiracist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it. 

**How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight- Jane Yolen & Mark Teague**
A fun book with exceptional illustrations to introduce our 3-month old to the concept of sleep.

#### Jackson Enright 
**This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs The Climate - Naomi Klein **
Naomi Klein, author of bestsellers including The Shock Doctrine and the more recent On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal, pits capitalism against climate change in this book. Klein outlines why free-market capitalism will fail to address the climate crisis, as well as how the chance to fix our fossil-fuel powered economy is also an opportunity to fix the ongoing failures of our democracies and economies. 

**Superpower: One Man’s Quest to Transform American Energy - Russell Gold **
A book that provides a detailed exploration of Michael Skelly’s renewable energy journey, along with all of the political, economic, and social obstacles he encounters along the way. For those wondering how some huge renewable energy farms get built, look no further.

**Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow - Yuval Noah Harari**
Yuval Noah Harari looks to the future on his most recent prospective on the human race. A great read that begs the question: what does it mean to be human? It is necessary to reflect and consider our actions as we contemplate the technological advancements that will bring far-reaching changes to Earth and its inhabitants.

#### Payton Bennett
**A Terrible Thing to Waste: Environmental Racism and Its Assault on the American Mind - Harriet A. Washington**
This book, by Harriet A. Washington, looks into the destructive consequences of environmental racism, including the effects that it can have on a person’s IQ. It also discusses potential solutions to remediating the communities that are disproportionately affected by climate change. A very important and informational read!

**The Quest - Daniel Yergin**
Daniel Yergin is a leading energy expert and author of the Pulitzer prize-winning book, The Prize. This book explains how energy is at the center of all global political, social, and economic change. Yergin identifies key issues within our energy systems and the new emerging energies that are replacing old technologies, and gives an insightful look into our clean energy future.

#### Emilly Fan
**The Age of Sustainable Development - Jeffrey D. Sachs**
By world-renowned economist, this book presents a compelling and practical framework for how global citizens can use a holistic way forward to address the seemingly intractable worldwide problems of persistent extreme poverty, environmental degradation, and political-economic injustice: sustainable development. It offers the tools, metrics, and practical pathways needed to achieve Sustainable Development Goals and helps to inform, inspire, and spur action. 

**Energy and Climate: Vision for the Future - Michael B. McElroy**
This book is a broad and comprehensive introduction to the issue of energy and climate change intended to be accessible for the general reader. It covers energy basics, a discussion of the energy systems of the US and China, and also the debate regarding climate change. The perspective is global but with a specific focus on the US and China recognizing the critical role these countries must play in addressing the challenge of global climate change. 

#### Chandler Johnson
**Climate Change from the Streets - Michael Mendez**
Michael Mendez explains the power behind location  and the inequalities of climate change. He explores the perspectives and the influence that low-income people of color bring to their advocacy work on climate change. Mendez contends that we must incorporate local knowledge, culture, and history into policymaking to fully address the global complexities of climate change and the real threats facing our local communities.

**Whose Water is it Anyway?: Taking Water Protection into Public Hands - Maude Barlow**
Maude Barlow, also known as one the world’s most notable water justice activists includes a detailed plan on how to help prevent communities from going dry due to the actions of irresponsible companies and governments.

#### Ryan Allen
**The Tyranny of Experts: Economists, Dictators, and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor - William Easterly **
The Tyranny of Experts: Economists, Dictators, and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor is a 2014 book by the development economist William Easterly arguing that there are no silver bullets for promoting economic development and that the best hope is to support economic, political, and personal freedom worldwide. William Easterly was also a professor of mine in my final semester at NYU. This book served as reading material for the class. I found it an engaging and insightful look into the world of foreign aid and the underlying structures that inhibit successful outcomes in developing countries. 

**The Road - Cormac McCarthy**
The story of a father and son living in a post apocalyptic America journeying through the country to reach the coast. The bond between a father and his son is nearly all that remains in a ravaged world. The Road asks us all to think about the future world we want for ourselves and for our children. It is particularly relevant today as if the world does not make collective changes in the name of saving our climate, the future in The Road, just may be ours as well. 


2020 Summer Reading List

Raise Green’s Summer Reading List

# How to invest in your first solar project

On Wednesday July 8th, we hosted an Impact Investor Webinar that explained our investor marketplace in detail. Feel free to [check out our list of available investment opportunities here](https://marketplace.raisegreen.com/offers/offersList)! We talked about why investing with Raise Green matters and how prospective investors can get started today. 

The investor process can be simplified into five crucial steps: 

1. Create an account
2. Pick a project 
3. Review an investment opportunity
4. Invest and back a project 
5. Watch your impact grow

If you missed out, feel free to check out the [recording of the webinar here](https://youtu.be/UFL8OfojFUI). We also received some great questions from prospective investors that we would like to share with you all! We picked six of our favorites and provided detailed answers below. 

If you have any questions unanswered in the video or our answers below, please reach out to us at [info@raisegreen.com](mailto:info@raisegreen.com). We believe that investing in the right thing should be easy, and we aim to make sustainable impact investing as affordable and accessible as possible, so please provide feedback to help us accomplish this goal. 

To get the most up-to-date information on Raise Green content, please consider signing up for our email [list](http://eepurl.com/dFst3T) and follow any of our social accounts ([Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/raisegreeninc/), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/RaiseGreenInc), [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/RaiseGreenInc/), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/raisegreen/)). 

**6 Questions from prospective Investors: **

*What is the lifetime of a solar project, and how will the returns from a project be delivered to an investor? *

Solar projects can generate electricity for 15-40 years or more. We typically define the lifetime of a solar project as the lifetime of a contract to purchase electricity, referred to as a power purchase agreement (PPAs). PPA’s normally last somewhere between 15-30 years. However, the solar asset itself (the panels and inverters) may be generating electricity longer than that. 

Regarding returns, we look for projects that are projected to deliver at least 5% return or more to investors. The length of the returns vary by investment opportunity,  as each has different return profiles. All of these types of details will be described in depth for each security on the investment details page for you to review before deciding to invest! 

We recommend you be as educated as possible on the risks of investing, as each project is unique in their opportunity for return. 

*How does the contracted cash flow from a project get divided between investors, Raise Green, and the Project Creator team? Are they fixed by the platform or set up on a per project basis? *

We strive to be fully transparent about fees and costs associated with creating a project, or investing in one. Raise Green is also an investor and equity holder in every equity project on our platform, so we are also motivated to see each project succeed! 

Each project’s cash flow may vary in accordance with the project or company type. Typically the owner of the project (Creator) retains 10-15% equity in the project and the investor community would own the remaining equity of the project. Additionally, if a project raises money successfully, Raise Green collects a platform listing fee (5% of the raise). 

*What states do you plan to have projects in, and are there any restrictions on investor’s locations to invest in projects? *

Raise Green is a FINRA Member and is licensed with the SEC to sell and issue securities nationwide, which allows us to host projects and help raise capital for any U.S. company. Investors nationwide are welcome to invest in any project. We are excited to provide access to capital to anyone who is interested in leading a project and is looking for national attention and funding. Check out our [Originator Program ](https://www.raisegreen.com/originator-program)for more information!

*What are the options for an investor wanting to exit a project? Particularly in the case of an equity funded project? (how do investors sell their shares)*

Similar to venture investing, there is currently no secondary market for selling the shares you purchase. When you buy equity in a project you are committing to being an investor for the project’s lifetime. While there is not currently a secondary market set up, it is possible to resell your shares if you can find a willing buyer, and in most cases investors will be able to sell shares openly within one year, or transfer shares to family members or other financial organizations. 

*Can we use a self-directed IRA account to invest in these investment opportunities?*

Yes, but it is easier for some self-directed IRA accounts as compared to others. Please reach out to us at [info@raisegreen.com ](mailto:info@raisegreen.com)and we would be happy to look at your individual circumstances to see if it is a possibility. 

*If a project is funded, is your initial investment the limit for the project, or can there be a further pro-rata call for capital, if the project creator under-estimated the project cost?*

When we structure the investment opportunity with the project creator we do our best to include all the industry standard costs that you would expect, in addition to an amount of buffers for unexpected costs. An additional pro-rata capital call would depend on the particular investment, but is not typical. A more likely situation would be a successful creator funding their 2nd or 3rd project at a later point in time, in which past investors would have another investment opportunity! 

Raise Green prides ourselves on our due diligence, as we use the same infrastructure and financial models used at large investment banks. You can read more about the criteria we use to assess project opportunities and costs, as well as read more about each of these important educational topics in our [FAQ](https://marketplace.raisegreen.com/offers/offersList). 


How to invest in your first solar project: 6 Q&A’s from our Impact Investor Webinar

6 Q&A’s from our Impact Investor Webinar

6 Q&A's from our Impact Investor Webinar

We’re ecstatic to see the first available offering on Raise Green’s marketplace go live. We started this journey with the idea of creating a platform that would allow anyone to join the fight against climate change. That means making it easy for anyone to start their own clean energy or climate resilience project - and making it easy for anyone to become investors in those projects. 

When you think about individual action, a lot of the easiest paths you can take center around the little things, like improving the efficiency of the energy you consume. To quote one of our favorite essays, Amory Lovins’ said  “the cheapest kilowatt hour is the one never used.” That’s why we're starting with the National Energy Improvement Fund (NEIF) as our initial investment opportunity. NEIF’s focus is on creating opportunity for energy efficiency and resilience for residential and commercial buildings, providing financing for essential energy and resilience improvements like heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, roofing, lighting and battery storage, which make homes and businesses more resilient, efficient, healthy and comfortable and helps contractors grow their businesses.

We’re excited to continue to host many more investment opportunities  to come - of varying investment amounts, project types, and community involvement. That’s what makes Raise Green truly special. Anyone that has an idea and the determination to make their project a reality can do so with our platform. Our clean energy future will be built by everyday people - everyday people deserve to create and own that future.  

Climate change is the biggest collective problem that humanity has ever faced. But as we have seen with recent Black Lives Matter protests, the COVID-19 lockdown, and economic turmoil: unrest incited from massive collective action issues can be converted into meaningful action - and ultimately big change. 

Make no mistake: Raise Green is here to facilitate big change. 

While Raise Green is just one piece of a much more comprehensive solution to climate change, it also doubles as an avenue for communities and individuals to join hands together in building the future that we want. A future that is centered around just, equitable, and sustainable practices. The time for inclusive finance and egalitarian business solutions is now. Join Raise Green in the fight against climate change. You can [invest today on our marketplace. ](https://marketplace.raisegreen.com/offers/offersList)

To get the most up-to-date information on Raise Green content, please consider signing up for our [email list](http://eepurl.com/dFst3T) and follow any of our social accounts ([Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/raisegreeninc/), [Twitter,](https://twitter.com/RaiseGreenInc) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/RaiseGreenInc/), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/raisegreen/)). 

*~Franz Hochstrasser & Matt Moroney*


Founder reflections: The road to our first offering

Founder Reflections: The road to our first offering

## Empowers Direct Investment in Local Climate Action Projects

*Former Obama Administration Alum launches marketplace for local impact investing with IBM to combat climate change and democratize access to sustainable investment opportunities*

**Somerville, MA** - [Raise Green](www.raisegreen.com) — the impact investment marketplace for green infrastructure and clean energy projects — today announced the launch of the first crowdfunding platform for investment in clean energy projects nationwide, as well as their initial offering on the platform, the first of more than 50 projects in the pipeline. The [Greentown Labs](https://greentownlabs.com/)-incubated company’s first project with the [National Energy Improvement Fund (NEIF)](https://www.neifund.org/) will include loan options for families and small to medium businesses conducting energy efficiency retrofits and resiliency improvements to essential infrastructure. Raise Green is the first company to offer equity crowdfunding focused on investments for climate solutions nationwide since the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) [finalization of equity crowdfunding regulations.](https://www.sec.gov/news/pressrelease/2015-249.html)

Raise Green aims to give people the direct impact they have been looking to make on climate change by providing access to verifiable investment opportunities. If you invest in a solar project listed on Raise Green, you'll know exactly the amount of clean power your dollar has produced.  Raise Green is a two-sided marketplace that brings together innovators seeking financing and a wide range of investors, empowering anyone in the U.S. to participate. Raise Green makes financing small projects more profitable than ever; for the first time, retail, accredited, and institutions can invest in the same security, offering truly blended capital. Whether it is as little as $100 or as much as $100,000, everyone can be directly involved with a climate action project to support sustainable infrastructure.

> “Raise Green empowers anyone to take meaningful action in the fight against climate change by offering direct investment opportunities in local resilience through community solar power and energy efficiency projects,” said Franz Hochstrasser, CEO and Co-Founder of Raise Green. “It’s a kind of local and grassroots ‘Green New Deal,’ for those who don’t want to wait for government or big financial institutions to act.”

To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, experts state that there needs to be at least [$1 trillion](https://www.ceres.org/initiatives/clean-trillion) in global investments into clean energy and climate solutions each year between now and 2050. If global investments in green infrastructure and decarbonization total $110 trillion, it would [create massive socioeconomic gains](https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidrvetter/2020/04/20/how-a-110-trillion-green-recovery-can-save-the-world-new-report/amp/) and resilience to climate crises across the world. Moreover, [millennials have shown an increased interest in sustainable investments amid COVID-19](https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/15/investing-advice-coronavirus-downturn-shows-esg-investment-opportunity.html), marking significant generational momentum. By early March, environmental social governance (ESG) aware companies [“outperformed other stocks by up to 5.7%,”](https://www.gbm.hsbc.com/insights/global-research/esg-stocks-did-best-in-corona-slump) and, as of last year, [67% of millennials](https://www.morganstanley.com/ideas/sustainable-investing-growing-interest-and-adoption) were actively investing in sustainable products. Raise Green’s first of many sustainable investment opportunities through the National Energy Improvement Fund is available nationwide.

> “As a certified B corporation, NEIF is committed to providing fair, simple, and transparent financing options to help increase the affordability of energy efficiency and resilience improvement,” said Peter Krajsa, Founder and Co-Chair of NEIF. “We are excited to work with Raise Green to bring our Climate Action Investment Notes and the opportunity to support this effort to a broader investor market through their sustainability-focused crowdfunding platform.”

Raise Green’s marketplace offers a wide variety of replicable, templatized investment opportunities for solar power, affordable housing, electric vehicle charging stations, agriculture, water projects, and microgrids. Each investment vertical is designed to have an immediate impact on the resiliency of local communities with a chance to earn returns while building sustainable infrastructure. Individuals or organizations looking to start their own clean energy project can also find the proper resources through Raise Green’s “Originator Engine” — developed in partnership with IBM — to guide anyone who is interested through the process of facilitating a project from start to finish. This includes opening up access to tax equity investment for eligible projects and investors.

**Greentown Labs**— the largest climate tech startup incubator in North America — is proud to have Raise Green as a member company in its Somerville headquarters. After relocating to the Boston area in 2019, Raise Green joined Greentown's community of nearly 100 clean tech and climate tech startups to solve the climate crisis through entrepreneurship and collaboration.

“If we’re going to drive meaningful, long-term change in the fight against the climate crisis, we need more people and more capital to get on board,” said Emily Reichert, CEO at Greentown Labs. “Raise Green gives people the opportunity to engage locally through investments in clean energy projects in communities across the country. At a time when investment in climate action is so needed, we are excited to see Raise Green’s tremendous efforts lead to the launch of this platform.”

Raise Green’s innovative platform is spearheaded by CEO and co-founder Franz Hochstrasser, a Yale School of the Environment alumni who served for eight years in the Obama Administration as a White House appointee on energy and climate. He is joined by fellow Yale alumni Matthew Moroney, who serves as the co-founder and COO of Raise Green, and is a data scientist with over 10-years of experience in environmental remediation, permitting and corporate sustainability strategy.

Previously the founders of Raise Green launched two successful pilot projects through New Haven Community Solar which provided discounted electricity for the Jim Vlock First Year Building Project -- a partnership between the Yale School of Architecture and Columbus House, a nonprofit organization based in New Haven that serves people who are homeless by providing shelter and housing and fostering personal growth and independence.

Supported by a team of industry leaders and experts in finance, climate action, and sustainable energy Raise Green works to empower everyone with the resources needed to take direct action in the fight against climate change. The Greentown Labs-incubated marketplace is backed with investments from veterans of the renewable energy industry and project financing and is in the process of fundraising towards their Series Seed.

To learn more about Raise Green and to utilize their platform to invest in or start clean energy projects, visit: [raisegreen.com.](www.raisegreen.com)

**About Raise Green:** Raise Green is the first marketplace in the U.S. for local and inclusive impact investment with verifiable and demonstrable environmental benefits. Through the platform, anyone can be an originator of their own community solar project. On Raise Green’s investor marketplace, anyone (individuals and institutions) can invest in community-focused climate resilience projects across a varied range of project scales and minimum investments. Early investors in Raise Green are veterans of the renewable energy industry and project financing. Investors can derive value while at the same time creating quantifiable impacts in local communities, as well as receiving financial returns if the project is successful.  
About NEIF: NEIF is a PA public Benefit Corporation and serves people and local small/medium-sized businesses with financing needs with an emphasis on affordable efficiency and carbon-pollution-reducing upgrades available to low/moderate-income households. NEIF began making loans in 2018 and has received accolades from the Department of Energy. More their investment campaign can be found here.

**About Greentown Labs:** As the largest climate tech startup incubator in North America, Greentown Labs brings together startups, corporates, investors, politicians, and many others with a focus on scaling climate solutions. Driven by the mission of providing ground-breaking startups the resources, knowledge, connections, and equipment they need to thrive, Greentown Labs offers prototyping and wet lab space, shared office space, a machine shop, an electronics lab, software and business resources, a large network of corporate customers and investors, and more. Greentown Labs’ 100,000-square-foot campus in Somerville, MA is home to more than 100 startups and has supported more than 280 startups since the incubator’s founding in 2011. These startups have collectively created more than 6,500 direct jobs and have raised more than $850 million in funding. For more information, please visit www.greentownlabs.com or Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Press Release: Raise Green Launches First Impact Investment Marketplace for Clean Energy


# How to start your own solar project company

The pandemic and economic crisis has left over 30 million unemployed in the U.S. At Raise Green, we believe there are green jobs for anyone out there if they create their own local solar company. These are the first steps towards ensuring an equitable clean energy transition is accessible to everyone and is driven by new entrepreneurs and small businesses—increasing local self-determination and economic growth.

Through clean energy projects, Raise Green can help provide jobs for the unemployed and ensure projects bring economic and environmental benefits at the community level. Our two-sided marketplace helps create and fund climate projects to make investing in clean energy easy. 

Each of these projects needs a project creator, or an Originator as we call it at Raise Green, to create opportunities in the marketplace for our impact investor network to support them. This Originator could be an individual, a group of folks, or another legal entity. We want to make it easier for clean energy entrepreneurs to create a solar project in their community than a fast food franchise. We need everyone’s help in the fight against climate change and now you don’t have to wait!

On June 10th, 2020, we shared [our Originator project creation process. ](https://youtu.be/pKZswTC48ac) Within the webinar, we had the opportunity to recap our own founding story and two successful pilot projects, as well as provide an overview of the four crucial steps of being a Raise Green Originator: Create, Fund, Build, and Run.

Our first pilot project took us approximately 10 months to create and fund. The next one took about 4 months. With our Originator Engine software, [a product we co-created with IBM](https://www.ibm.com/blogs/think/uk-en/developing-the-solar-community/), we streamline the process so that Originators can complete this process in as little as 10 weeks or less. If you are interested in learning how to start a project with Raise Green, check out the recording of the webinar here: https://youtu.be/pKZswTC48ac

Our webinar played host to prospective Originators from a variety of different backgrounds, and we had the opportunity to field an extensive Q&A session with some great folks after our presentation. We decided to share some of these questions along with our written answers below. Please feel free to continue the conversation with us by tweeting @RaiseGreenInc, emailing us at [info@raisegreen.com](mailto:info@raisegreen.com), or [signing up for our mailing list](http://eepurl.com/dFst3T). 

Additionally, if you already have an idea or a lead for a project, please reach out to our Head of Originator Sales, Jackie Logan, over email: [jackie@raisegreen.com](mailto:jackie@raisegreen.com). We want to make all of your projects a reality, and we will do our best to connect you with the best tools and people to do so. 

Stay tuned for our next webinar, focused on Impact Investors, on July 8th at 2pm Eastern. To make sure to get the most up-to-date information on this event as well as all other Raise Green content, please follow any of our social accounts ([Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/raisegreeninc/?hl=en), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/RaiseGreenInc), [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/RaiseGreenInc/), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/raisegreen/). 

**7 Questions from prospective Originators:**

*What is the contractual relationship between Originators and Investors? *

This is the exciting part - unlike traditional finance where you have to take terms offered by a bank, Originators can set the terms that work for your project and see if investors are interested in owning a piece of your project. Raise Green works as an intermediary, performing due diligence on contractual obligations and securities structuring. We also provide template documentation to help issue non-voting member units into your project structure, although the extent of involvement is up to you as an Originator. 

*How is the dividend to investors calculated?*

Dividends or other types of repayments depend on whether you use equity or debt to raise capital for your project. You will be issuing dividends if you sell equity in your company, whereas if you sell debt securities, you will be paying interest against that debt. For both of these investment mechanisms the calculation of dividend or interest depends on the operating costs and the power purchase agreement price signed with your project company, and at the end of the day this is a decision that you can make as an Originator. For example, before raising any money, Raise Green will help assess what kinds of capital outlays the project would need for ongoing operations and maintenance. Then, based on whether or not tax equity is included, Originators can determine how much they can offer their investors. Some investors may only join for a higher modeled return (e.g. 7%+), but others may join for a lower modeling return (e.g. 3-5%) if they have a relationship with the project, for example. Part of the exciting part of creating a company on Raise Green is that you help to define and elucidate the new efficient frontier of a new asset class - green private equity for community-level project finance.

*How is the timeframe of the project negotiated? *

Our team will work with Originators to negotiate a timeline that is in-line with your objectives and commitments. Regardless, the timescale of different phases in projects may vary due to project scale, location, off-taker relationship, etc. 

*How long does the initial RAISE (Revenue, Ambition, Impact, Social, Environmental) screening process take? *

The initial screening process will differ extensively depending on where you are in your project creation process and could range from as little to two weeks to as long as two months. Whether you just have an idea, or you already have a project location and type already selected, we will work with you to bring your idea to fruition. 

*How do the tax benefits and credits apply to the Investor and/or Originator entity and how vital is capturing “tax equity” in generating revenue as an originator? *

Raise Green has created a templatized structure that integrates a Tax Equity Partner in order to enable access to the relevant renewable energy tax benefits (e.g. Investment Tax Credit) into your project company cash flow. Our team assists in helping to find a Tax Equity Partner that may invest as a partner in the project company. By involving a Tax Equity Partner, your community-scale project could be roughly 30-40% less expensive due to receiving tax benefits and accelerated depreciation that might otherwise not be accessible. Choosing the right structure for your project finance company is vital to capture this “tax equity” as an Originator in order for these community-scale projects to be successful, and our team has unlocked this through our unique financing approach. 

*Do you have any suggestions on how to approach a potential off-taker (i.e. a community center) about how they’ll benefit from an Originator putting solar panels on their roof? *

Building trust from the outset of a business relationship is essential. The best way to build trust with a potential off-taker is to approach them with sufficient preparation on the details of your project, along with a clear sense of the benefits that could come with a cooperative agreement between your project and the off-taker’s site. Our team can help with this step of communications, but it is a good idea to have an idea of the size of the project along with benefits such as: electricity cost savings, pollution reduction, community support, etc. prior to initiating communications with an off-taker. It is important to note that a trusting relationship between the you and your off-taker is crucial to a project’s success, and setting up ongoing communications and open feedback will help ensure a beneficial relationship overtime. 

*Is it possible to start a company with such a low equity stake at the outset? Will originators have to give up some of their 10% to create a team (accountant, etc.)? *

When you create a project company with Raise Green, by default, your Originator team would start with 100% of the equity in your project. This percentage will decrease depending on the amount of equity you sell to fund your project (ex: 80%), as well as if you decide to offer equity in order to create a team. It is up to you as the Originator and your team whether to share a percentage of equity with key community members or organizations in order to grow the Originator team and incentivize partners to help you get the project done! 


*This is not a Research Report, should not be construed as investment advice, and does not constitute a solicitation to sell or an offer to buy securities relating to any products referenced herein Past performance is not indicative of future results. This blog represents a business discussion only and the views of individuals at Raise Green. Investing in Crowdfunded investments is risky and speculative. Please see FAQs on this Site for more information.*

7 Q&As from our Originator Webinar

How to Start Your Own Solar Project Company

Invest in local resilience

Learn more

Read a project’s financial profile, its anticipated impact, and the community it will serve.

Discover local impact projects

Successful projects earn returns that you, as a co-owner, would get to enjoy!

Anyone can invest in a project, whether it’s $100,000 or your first $100. 




Put your money where your heart is

Track the impact your money is making over time and know how many kWh of clean power your investment is helping to produce.

Quantifiable impact you can see

We make investing in the right thing easy

Check out our open investment opportunities 

Investment opportunities

Raise Green provides resources to help you create a clean energy project.

Apply to the Originator Program

Be the first to know about new projects opening for investment. 

Subscribe to our newsletter!

Invest in climate projects and co-own a brighter future for you and your community.