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CollectiveSun receives Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certification
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After a year and a half of waiting, it’s official — CollectiveSun Lending has received its Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certification from the U.S. Department of the Treasury!
This is a major milestone for CollectiveSun. The designation provides federal recognition of our commitment to expanding access to financing in underserved communities and opens the door to new funding opportunities, lending partnerships, and potential loan guarantee programs.
We’re excited about how this certification can help us attract additional capital, expand our lending capacity, and make clean energy more accessible and affordable for nonprofits nationwide.
There’s still work ahead to turn these opportunities into reality, but this is an exciting step forward!
Looking forward to bringing solar to even more nonprofits across the country!
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Cooperative Energy Futures Lake Elmo Project 1-year Retrospective
Last December, we introduced you to Cooperative Energy Futures (CEF), a Minneapolis-based, member-owned cooperative that develops and operates community solar gardens across Minnesota. CollectiveSun was proud to partner with CEF on its 11th community solar garden in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, which came online in October 2025. The 1,224 kW ground-mount array covers about seven acres and uses single-axis trackers to follow the sun. It sits on land that was previously leased for monocropped corn, but now has new life with CEF planting native pollinators and bringing in sheep grazing to manage the vegetation. The landowner runs the Sally Manzara Interpretive Nature Center, and the proceeds from leasing the land for solar help fund the center.
Now that the solar garden has completed its first full year, we’re revisiting the project to see how it’s going for the members it serves. We spoke with Allye Doyle, Communications Director at CEF, for an update.
This loan was made possible by the generous participation of the BQuest Foundation.
All images are courtesy of Cooperative Energy Futures.
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How is the solar garden serving its community a year in?
Lake Elmo now serves 164 subscribers, and members typically save about 20% on their bills. We don’t have an annual total savings figure available at the moment, but the response from members has been enthusiastic.
How do subscribing households benefit from the garden?
Community solar lets households subscribe to a share of a nearby solar project and receive credits on their utility bill, saving money without installing panels on their own roofs. That opens solar savings to renters, people who can’t afford upfront costs, and others who have been left out of rooftop solar. The Lake Elmo project has 164 community solar subscribers. Our solar gardens usually have between 150 and 200 subscribers, depending on the size of the project and the size of the households involved.
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If you’re thinking about getting solar for your nonprofit, you’re not alone! Many nonprofit organizations across the nation are going solar, and for good reason. Solar not only lowers your carbon footprint, supporting the environment — it can also lower your nonprofit’s electricity bills, allowing you to focus precious financial resources on your mission.
But the process of going solar may seem daunting.
That’s why we’ve created a comprehensive 62-page solar guide to give you the information you need, every step of the way.
At CollectiveSun, we’ve helped hundreds of nonprofits across the country go solar. We can help you before, during, and after your solar is installed — helping you determine whether solar makes sense for your organization, explaining the available financing options and incentives, and even managing the project for you, if you pick a financing option that includes that service.
Now, the support we provide nonprofits includes our new 62-page guide, with information to support you wherever you are in your solar journey. The guide includes:
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Solar basics
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Financing solar for your nonprofit
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Preparing your nonprofit for solar
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What to do after you go solar
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And more things you need to know
As a subscriber to our newsletter, you can download the 62-page guide for free below. Let us know if you have any questions or comments — we’re always here to help.
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| Download the Guide Here! |
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Disclaimer: The information in our educational materials does not constitute legal or tax advice and should not be relied upon for any purpose. Please consult your legal counsel and tax advisor.
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Was this newsletter forwarded to you and you’d like to join our mailing list?
Click here!
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Know a Nonprofit?
If your favorite nonprofit organization is exploring going solar and their mission is to provide programs & services that support communities of concern benefitting:
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CollectiveSun is here to help you with your solar financing.
| Interest Rates Start at 4.99% |
| Rates Are Based On Community Impact, Not Just Credit Score |
| One Simple Payment | Term Length Up To 10 Years |
| Payment Holiday Durning Construction of System | No Prepayment Penality |
Our goal is for you to end up with a solar system that reduces your carbon footprint and is a $0 down investment with a positive cash flow from day one, so it has an immediate impact on your bottom line. That’s what we want most for the organizations that are the backbone of our communities — financial and environmental sustainability that allows you to concentrate on your mission and reach your sustainability goals.
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If you’d like to learn more, schedule
a 20-minute call with Matt here.
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Navigating the world of solar financing can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Our team of seasoned experts has been focused on delivering solar financing solutions for nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations across the country for over a decade. In just the last few years, we’ve proudly facilitated solar projects for over 200 nonprofits spanning 25 states.
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At CollectiveSun, we understand that every nonprofit is unique, and that’s why we offer a diverse range of financing options. Whether you’re considering a loan like our CollectiveSun Solar Loan designed to support your purchase of a solar system while allowing you to benefit directly from the Direct Pay Tax Rebate; exploring third-party ownership options like our CollectiveSun Solar Power Agreement (SPA); or seeking a hybrid funding model like our CollectiveSun Prepaid Solar Power Agreement (Prepaid SPA), we have the perfect solution to match your solar financing needs.
For those looking to dive deeper into how Direct Pay can benefit you, we’re excited to offer a free comprehensive course series on HeatSpring. This series covers not only Direct Pay but also the additional ITC bonus adders, providing you with all the information you need for when your filing is due.
📚 Enroll in the free courses here:
CollectiveSun HeatSpring Direct Pay & More Course Series
You’ll discover how these incentives can make solar energy even more accessible and cost-effective for your nonprofit organization. Together, let’s harness the power of the sun to fuel your mission and create a brighter, more sustainable future for all.
Let’s connect and start the conversation!
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Plug-in Balcony Solar Gains Momentum
Distributed solar is making exciting legislative strides at both state and federal levels. California is one of ten states to officially legalize plug-in solar (AKA balcony solar), with Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signing a bill allowing people to set up the plug-in panels at home. Expanding these plug-in options opens the market to new decentralized technology, a concept that is also gaining traction nationally as U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, introduced the Socket Full of Sunshine Act. It’s exciting to see more on-site solar options, especially for renters.
Improving Safety in Battery Storage
As renewable deployment accelerates, grid reliability and safety continue to improve. Data shows that as the installation of utility-scale batteries in the US surges, the risk of battery fires has plummeted. Enhanced safety standards and advanced engineering are proving that large-scale energy storage can anchor our power grid securely and reliably.
Repowering Aging Solar Arrays
The U.S. could unlock a significant amount of energy capacity simply by “repowering” aging solar farms with new, better-performing panels and adding batteries to the arrays, a new report argues. Upgrading older infrastructure allows the clean energy sector to maximize generation potential on existing land footprint, meeting soaring power demands more efficiently than building from scratch.
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CollectiveSun helps make solar for nonprofits a reality! Our innovative approach helps these organizations secure affordable financing and streamline project implementation.
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CollectiveSun, LLC
888 980 2786 (CSUN)
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