Impact Investment: How to Fund Alternative Energy

Impact Investment: How to Fund Alternative Energy

Investing isn't 100 percent about financial returns regardless of the ethics (or lack thereof) of the company being funded. More Investors are seeking out businesses, nonprofits, and funds for the purposes of generating a measurable, beneficial social or environmental impact alongside a financial return. This is called impact investing, and you can start doing it right now, whether supporting a massive investment fund or a crowdsourced alternative energy project (we have a specific one in mind at the bottom of this post). 

Impact investing has grown from an estimated $50 billion in 2009 to $500 billion today. While this figure only represents a slice of the $61 trillion that makes up the global equity market, impact investing has spread among such instruments as equity, debt, real assets, and loan guarantees. 

Impact Investing with Large Investment Funds

Analysts noted that private equity funds are undergoing a massive shift of funds from fossil fuel energy to solar, wind, and other renewable energy assets. Industry insiders say that fund sponsors are interested due to a convergence of numerous trends. 

First, the asset class has matured to the degree that the technology behind clean energy (in the form of wind turbines and solar panels) is a known quantity. Second, federal and state climate policies have mandated the decarbonization of energy at local, state, and national levels. Third, fund LPs are requiring increasing clean energy investments for the purpose of promoting sustainability initiatives. 

 

That's the 10,000 view, but let's get practica. How do you get down to impact investing? A good place to start is with an alternative energy ETF. In this way, you can diversity across several companies through purchasing alternative energy exchange-traded funds.

Here are five ETFS that Investopedia ranks the highest by reason of market cap, potential stock growth.  liquidity.

1. Invesco Solar ETF (TAN)

TAN follows the Mac Global Solar Energy Index, which tracks 23 stocksand keeps 90 percent of its investments in securities from the index.

2. Invesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (PBW)

PBW provides exposure to U.S. companies engaged in advacing cleaner energy and conservation. It follows the WilderHill Clean Energy Index and invests at least 90 percent of its assets in stocks from the index. 

3. First Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Green Energy ETF (QCLN)

This ETF tracks the Nasdaq Clean Edge Green Energy Index, which includes 39 stocks in its portfolio.

4. VanEck Vectors Global Alternative Energy ETF (GEX)

This ETF tracks the Ardour Global Index; it focuses on companies in an area considered alternative energy. 

5. iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN)

The S&P Global Clean Energy Index is considered the benchmark of this ETF. It keeps a 90 percent concentration of assets from the index. The other 10 percent are futures, options, and swap contracts. 

Impact Investing with Crowdfunding

How to Invest in Renewable Energy with Crowdfunding

Investing in large-scale portfolios aren't the only way to get involved with impact investing. Many online companies are now offering funding platforms for renewable energy projects and cleantech companies.

One of them is GridShare. You can browse offerings on the site and back projects through equity, debt, and donations.

The second is StartEngine. Established in 2016, the site facilitates investment in early-stage startup businesses, including renewable energy companies. It partners with small businesses, entrepreneurs, and others, enabling about 150 financings through the platform since its inception. It operates at a higher scale than Kickstarter or Indiegogo, allowing bigger businesses to get their liftoff.

 

An even better company to invest with impact investing is GoSun. You can now back it on StartEngine. 

Here's why GoSun is a great company to be a part of. GoSun literally started in an old garage and has now shipped over 35,000 solar products to over 60 countries. GoSun makes a variety of solar products including breakthrough solar ovens, which use vacuum insulation to bake, boil or fry a meal in only 20 minutes, using only sunlight. It has become the first consumer solar products manufacturer to break into mainstream markets centered around enjoying power, food and drink while outdoors. GoSun currently has relationships with major retailers including REI, ACE and Home Depot. 
After three years in business, GoSun is taking its innovative Solar Energy company to Start Engine, for equity crowdfunding raise. Last year, GoSun sold $1.6 million of solar products, and now they are and raising funds to ramp up all of their efforts. GoSun launched a campaign on October 16, 2019, and it has raised over $150,000 within the first five days.

As of this writing in December 2019, over a quarter-million dollars has been raised from investors who now have an equity stake in the company. 

With innovation at the core, in 2018 GoSun launched the first hybrid solar and electric oven through Kickstarter so customers can cook at night.  In 2019, the company launched a solar-powered cooler on Indiegogo, that eliminates ice, thus freeing up space, keeping contents from being soaked and smashed.

This article is part of our larger information resource on green investing. To see our Ultimate Guide to Socially Responsible Investing, click here. 

 

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