Your browser is old and unsupported. Please upgrade!

Invest in Neighborhood Sun

Community-shared solar — Making clean energy accessible to everyone.

Invest in Neighborhood Sun

Community-shared solar — Making clean energy accessible to everyone.

Silver Spring
Software Technology Saas Sustainability Social Impact
I have been passionate about fighting climate change for most of my adult life. Founding Neighborhood Sun combines this passion of fighting climate change with the benefit of supporting locally produced power. It's the next logical step, supporting shared clean energy but also supporting stronger, local communities. 
Gary Skulnik CEO @ Neighborhood Sun
Friends invest first
Public Launch Apr 28 @ 8PM EST
0 0 0 0
days hours minutes seconds

Invest via a

Future Equity
$15Mvaluation cap
see more terms & learn more
20%discount
A Future Equity Agreement (SAFE) gives you the right to future shares in the company. If you invest, you're betting the company will be worth more than $15M eventually.
see investor perks from $500 to $10,000

Payment processed on investment. Neighborhood Sun must raise $100,000 to get funded. Wefunder Portal LLC can refund upon request while funds are in escrow.

  • About
  • Updates 34
  • Reviews465
  • Ask a Question 58

Invest via a

Future Equity
$15Mvaluation cap
see more terms & learn more
20%discount
A Future Equity Agreement (SAFE) gives you the right to future shares in the company. If you invest, you're betting the company will be worth more than $15M eventually.
see investor perks from $500 to $10,000
Friends invest first
Public Launch Apr 28 @ 8PM EST
0 0 0 0
days hours minutes seconds

Why you may want to invest in us...

1 Proven track record of success already - in 2019 alone we completed and fully subscribed 4 major community solar projects with more than 2,000 households.
2 A mission-focused company with a B Corp score that leads the entire community solar industry!
3 Fastest growing part of the solar market. Community Solar is growing at more than twice the rate of all other solar combined - 53% 5 year growth versus 25
4 Built an industry-leading software platform that will help us achieve scale more quickly.
5 Market leaders in Maryland - went from 24% of Maryland market share to 36% in less than a year and are growing.
6 Featured in Business Insider, NPR, NBC, Solar Power World, and more!
7 2019 revenue grew by more than 100% while operating expenses grew by 27%.
8 Cost to acquire customers at half the industry average.

Why investors us

we've raised $2,396,005 since our founding

Neighborhood Sun is a leader in the community solar industry and has been developing new software systems to improve both the company operations and the customer experience which will only enhance its performance.  Neighborhood Sun is currently the market leader in Maryland and has recently expanded into New Jersey and needs more investment to continue its expanding its footprint into more Northeastern and Midwestern states.  It's a unique company with strong leadership with Gary Skulnik, a pioneer in the community solar space, a Board of Directors with industry leaders and independent experts, and a stellar advisory team including former CEO's of solar and energy services companies.
John Paul Moscarella President, CleanTech Advisors LLC
Lead Investor Investing $4,000 this round & $69,788 previously
Clean energy is the right future
Saduwa Sunday Irikefe
on 01/13/2021

Our team

Gary Skulnik
CEO
Gary has been a clean energy leader in Maryland for 20 years, either as an advocate or an entrepreneur. His previous venture, another B Corp that provided 100% green energy electricity, grew to $22MM in revenue with thousands of happy customers.
Emily Tokarowski
Marketing & Operations Director
Emily has an M.S. in STEM entrepreneurism & worked with ND-GAIN to create a business that would provide city officials & business professionals with the means to successfully acquire & allocate resources for the implementation of climate adaptation.
Armando Gaetaniello
Sales & Strategy Director
Armando has an M.Sc. in Global Environmental Change Management (in Germany) that completes his B.A. in Human Geography (in Italy). He has years of sales experience in the renewables industry.
Randi Orlow
New Jersey Community Solar Program Director
Social justice issues have inspired Randi to build a career as an advocate for mission-driven causes focused on well-being for the planet and its residents. Her studies at Temple University helped to shape passion in environmental conservation.

In the news

Downloads

NSun Wefunder Deck June 2020.pdf
Silver Spring
software technology saas sustainability social impact

Here Comes the (Neighborhood) Sun...

🎶 Do do do doo 🎶

Most Americans Cannot Get Affordable, Clean Solar Energy for Their Homes

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead


There are simply too many obstacles that prevent a typical household from participating in what most industry leaders agree is the future of power generation. Most Americans either don’t own their homes, don’t have a roof that optimally captures solar, or they don’t have the enormous resources (or desire) to install rooftop solar panels.

Let’s take a look at Stu Simon, a condominium owner in Maryland who cares deeply about the environment, but has no roof on which to install solar panels. Until a couple years ago Stu’s only option was to choose an alternative energy supplier that was 100% wind energy, but he was paying a premium for that service and found that the wind energy was sourced from out of state. He was “doing his part,” but yearned for a way to do more, do it locally, and do it for less money.

Get another glimpse of Stu’s story and others like his in this quick NBC segment on our Maryland Community Solar offer.

Community Solar to the Rescue!

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.” — Jane Goodall


Back in 2001, Gary Skulnik was envisioning local solar farms built right here in Maryland. He loved the idea of solar access for all, fighting climate change, and supporting locally produced energy. However, up until 2015, the only way to get solar energy was to install something on your roof. That’s when Gary, working with environmental leaders in Maryland, helped pass the Community Solar Act to allow everyone in the state--homeowners, renters, and condo-owners alike--to share in the benefits of solar. It took a few years for the government to set up the program, but in 2018 it was ready to go, and Stu Simon was one of the first of thousands who subscribed in the first 18 months.

In addition to helping people like Stu, the Community Solar Act also was set up to make a significant portion of this new, clean source of power available to the often marginalized population of low and moderate income “working” families. The dream of power from the sun being available to everyone has been launched.

Why Is Community Solar the Fastest Growing Segment in the Energy Market? Because it is Simple.

Community solar is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to get clean energy powering homes. Here’s how it works with Neighborhood Sun:  

1. Interested households select a community solar plan in their utility territory. All provide savings, but may differ on contract length, electricity savings, and other terms. They choose the option that works best for their circumstances.

2. They enter their electric utility account & billing information.

3. Their historical electricity needs are analyzed (with information provided by their utility) and they are assigned a share of a community solar project. That share will supply most of their home’s electricity needs (roughly 80%).

4. The solar energy that is generated by their share of the solar farm as “solar credits” and reduces their electricity bill by the full utility rate for that power.

5. They pay Neighborhood Sun each month for those solar credits at a guaranteed lower rate than what your utility is charging them to power their home with dirty energy.

6. The electricity that isn’t covered by their community solar share (roughly 20%) is simply paid to their electric utility provider.

7. And finally, our dedicated team works with the customer, if needed, at every step of the way--helping them choose the best community solar plan, understand their billing details, and adjust their solar share size.

    And that’s it! No solar panels installed on the roof or property. There are no fees to join and no one needs to change their utility provider. It takes only minutes on the computer or over the phone to get their home powered with local, clean energy. It can be done during a lunch break (which happens often) and there is still time to eat.

    How Do We Generate Revenue?

    Simply put, we make money by filling up community solar projects, and managing those customers. We’re great at it because Neighborhood Sun’s business model is not typical. Since 2017, we have enrolled more than 2,500 Maryland households through community networks, customer referrals, and partnering with long-standing organizations that have deeply loyal participants.

    Our channel partners work with us in ways no other community solar company can match. Our work with progressive faith institutions, environmental groups, non-profits, and other organizations is only made possible by our strong brand credibility and pleased customers. We fill projects with communities of people, rather than one household at a time.



    Within three months, we completely filled three of our community solar projects, totaling over 1,500 households - one of those projects being the largest privately-funded residential community solar project in the country.

    Each time we fill a project, community solar developers around the country take notice and look to partner with us. We get paid to fill and manage their projects, and no one does it better.

    The Maryland market is bringing another 25 Megawatts into the area, and we have the opportunity to expand into other states, such as New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Colorado. Continued growth is all but assured.

    What Sets Us Apart

    Neighborhood Sun is without competition in the way that we solely acquire and manage customers for community solar. We fill the roles that otherwise require two or more companies to manage separately. We are recognized with a 5-star rating on Google Reviews because of the seamless transitions that are made through a customer’s development from prospect to subscriber to brand ambassador.

    In addition, we're a certified B Corporation and want to use our business as a true force for good--it's baked into our corporate DNA. As such, we continuously meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. We are not just accountable to our shareholders, but to all our stakeholders, such as our employees, customers, the community around us, and our planet.

    Society’s most challenging problems cannot be solved by government and nonprofits alone. The B Corp community works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high quality jobs with dignity and purpose. By harnessing the power of business, B Corps use profits and growth as a means to a greater end: positive impact for their employees, communities, and the environment.

    An essential aspect of the Neighborhood Sun business model is our commitment to our corporate values:

    🔆  Transparency
    🔆  Customer-focused
    🔆  Integrity
    🔆  Sustainability
    🔆  Innovation

    That is why Neighborhood Sun established our Customer Advocacy Board (CAB).

    The CAB is a group of proactive, passionate customers who want to help our company and our cause because they care are invested in their success. They work together with their company to help in a variety of ways. This includes:

    1.  Being consulted by the company on decisions that will affect the customers
    2.  Bring concerns to the company that they or the customers they represent have
    3.  Field test ideas the company may have, to measure impact and reception
    4.  Brainstorm new solutions for any problems the company is having

    Together, We'll Build a Solar Community

    Your investment will enable us to bring community solar to even more people by dramatically expanding our footprint. This means we’ll be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions more quickly, increase the value of the company, and address energy equity in more cities. We will use the funds we raise to:

    1.  Improve our proprietary software platform for customer management
    We’ll upgrade our software platform to allow community solar to scale through greater marketing and sales efforts. This platform will service customers, solar asset owners, and sales organizations that want to join our solar revolution. From a business perspective, this will enable Neighborhood Sun to see even more recurring revenue through our own customer management services as well as licensing out the software to others.

    2.  Expand to new markets
    Community solar is rapidly expanding across the U.S. and we are looking to enter several new markets, such as New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and maybe even Colorado, among others.

    3.  Hire senior management
    While we have a CEO/Founder with years of experience and a great advisory board, we would like to bring on a COO/CTO and a CFO to help us develop strategies to scale our business.

    Investor Q&A

    Expand all
    What does your company do?
    Neighborhood Sun is a platform that provides customer acquisition and management to connect thousands of residents to community shared solar projects in their area.We are a community solar company dedicated to empowering all individuals to choose solar power. We put our customers first to make sure that clean energy is accessible to everyone, especially those who are the most vulnerable in the face of climate change.
    Where will your company be in 5 years?
    We want to be the top community solar platform in the country, helping fight climate change and save people money through the benefits of shared community solar. Since the start of community solar (less than two years ago), we've acquired more than 1/3 of the market and have helped our state prevent the extraction and combustion of 3.8 million pounds of coal each year.
    Why did you choose this idea?
    I have been passionate about fighting climate change for most of my adult life. Founding Neighborhood Sun combines this passion of fighting climate change with the benefit of supporting locally produced power. It's the next logical step, supporting shared clean energy but also supporting stronger, local communities. 
    Why is this a good idea, right now? What changed in the world? Why wasn't this done a few years ago?
    Community shared solar is a brand new way to purchase solar and is only now available in several states. Almost 20 states now have legislation and policy supporting the growth of shared solar energy. It's the fastest-growing part of the solar space, accelerating at more than twice the rate of other initiatives in the industry.
    What is your proudest accomplishment?
    We created the entire market for community solar in Maryland, fully subscribing the first, and largest residential project in the state.
    How far along are you? What's your biggest obstacle?
    We have proven the model and are on pace for $1mm in annual revenue. Our next challenge is to expand to other states in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast that have adopted and are opening up to community solar. The largest obstacle in expanding is rapidly acquiring staff to facilitate exponential growth.
    Who are your competitors? Who is the biggest threat?
    We have competitors in the customer acquisition and the management space. Arcadia Power is the biggest one.
    What do you understand that your competitors don't?
    We understand that the biggest challenge is not signing customers up, but keeping them in the project for 20 years. We aim to have the lowest attrition rate in the industry through our powerful green brand and extreme customer loyalty. Our company maintains loyal customers because we build a base of communities, not just consumers--the relationship with our customers doesn't end once the ink is dry on the contract. We are customer acquisition AND service specialists.
    How will you make money?
    We get paid by the solar developers to subscribe customers to their projects and then to manage those customers. We have recurring revenue. We will also be partnering with others in the industry to provide our platform services, or to white label our platform for their own use.
    What are the biggest risks? If you fail, what would be the reason? What has to go right for you to succeed?
    Lack of adequate funding could prevent us from getting the opportunities that come our way, keeping us from expanding to other markets.
    What do you need the most help with?
    We need help in the I.T. space, with continual improvement to our software platform to stay at the front of the pack.
    What would you do with the money you raise?
    We will invest the money in upgrading our software platform to manage customers, we will expand to new markets, and market our platform to others in the industry. We also want to bring on additional members to our management and field teams.
    How do you positively impact the world?
    We are a B Corporation that was named as Best for the World because of our governance. We not only switch people to clean energy, but we operate at the highest levels of integrity and ethics. We have a customer advocacy board to help our customers have a say in our business and hold us accountable.
    Why did you choose to be a B Corporation?
    We measure our success by many metrics and profit is what allows us to maximize our social impact. But profit isn't what drives us. We not only switch people to clean energy, but we operate at the highest levels of integrity and ethics. We have a customer advocacy board to help our customers have a say in our business and hold us accountable.

    Financials

    Neighborhood Sun has financial statements ending December 31 2019. Our cash in hand is $300,000, as of June 2020. Over the three months prior, revenues averaged $90,000/month, cost of goods sold has averaged $70,000/month, and operational expenses have averaged $115,000/month.

    At a Glance

    January 1 to December 31
    $727,696 +75%
    Revenue
    -$211,339
    Net Loss
    $111,876 +182%
    Short Term Debt
    $330,000
    Raised in 2019
    $300,000
    Cash on Hand
    As of 06/ 2/20
    Income
    Balance
    Narrative
    A note from Wefunder. Unlike companies on the NASDAQ, early-stage startups have little operating history. Financial analysis is not as useful when there is limited data. It's more important to predict the size of the future market. If the founder achieves their vision, will enough customers pay the company enough money?

    It's also common for fast-growing startups to lose money even faster: they are investing in future growth. In these cases, it's often better to check if the Cost of User Acquisition (CAC) is lower than the Lifetime Value (LTV) of that customer. If one spends $1000 today to make $10,000 over the next five years, that may be a smart bet. Amazon is a famous example of re-investing potential profits to maximize growth over 20 years.
    Net Margin:
    -29%
    Gross Margin:
    92%
    Return on Assets:
    -530%
    Earnings per Share:
    -$0.14
    Revenue per Employee:
    $72,770
    Cash to Assets:
    41%
    Revenue to Receivables:
    3,859%
    Debt Ratio:
    406%
    Reviewed Financial Statements- Neighborhood Sun Benefit Corp 002 .pdf

    Risks

    1

    The Company has only a limited operating history on which investors may base their evaluation of us and there are various particular risks associated with the Company's community solar business.  
    2

    Our future success depends on the efforts of a small management team. The loss of services of the members of the management team may have an adverse effect on the company. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in attracting and retaining other personnel we require to successfully grow our business.
    3

    Your ability to liquidate your investment is limited because of transfer restrictions, and the lack of a trading market.  
    4

    We expect to have further needs for capital following this offering, which will result in further need to get new investment. 
    5

    Ability to Implement and Manage Growth Strategy. Although the Company expects to experience significant growth in a relatively short period of time, and its operations may grow rapidly, the Company’s revenues may not continue to grow at the same rate. Implementation of the Company’s growth strategy may impose a significant strain on the Company’s management, operating systems and financial resources. Failure by the Company to manage its growth, or unexpected difficulties encountered during expansion, could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition.
    6

    We could be adversely affected by changes in customer preferences and technology.
                     The community solar project industry is subject to rapid and significant changes in customer  preferences, needs and technology.  There can be no assurance as to the effect of such technological changes on the Company or that the Company will not be required to expend substantial financial resources in the development or implementation of new competitive technologies in the future.  There can be no assurance that the occurrence of any of these events would not have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and the results of its operations. 
    7

    There are many risks associated with our expansion.
     

                    The Company plans to initiate and then expand a distribution network, including through representative agreements and/or through licensing arrangements. Any expansion of operations the Company may undertake will entail risks since any expansion may involve specific operational activities which may negatively impact the profitability of the Company. Expansion of operations may ultimately involve expenditure of funds beyond those available to the Company and may divert management's attention and resources away form its existing operations.  
    8

    The Company may never receive a future equity financing or elect to convert the Securities upon such future financing. In addition, the Company may never undergo a liquidity event such as a sale of the Company or an IPO. If neither the conversion of the Securities nor a liquidity event occurs, the Purchasers could be left holding the Securities in perpetuity. The Securities have numerous transfer restrictions and will likely be highly illiquid, with no secondary market on which to sell them. The Securities are not equity interests, have no ownership rights, have no rights to the Company’s assets or profits and have no voting rights or ability to direct the Company or its actions.
    9

    There are ongoing and future risks from the COVID-19 pandemic that may impact our ability to scale. If the economic fall-out from COVID-19 worsens, there may be less community solar projects financed and built. Stay-at-home orders impact our ability to acquire new customers.
    10 The Company may never receive a future equity financing or elect to convert the Securities upon such future financing. In addition, the Company may never undergo a liquidity event such as a sale of the Company or an IPO. If neither the conversion of the Securities nor a liquidity event occurs, the Purchasers could be left holding the Securities in perpetuity. The Securities have numerous transfer restrictions and will likely be highly illiquid, with no secondary market on which to sell them. The Securities are not equity interests, have no ownership rights, have no rights to the Company’s assets or profits and have no voting rights or ability to direct the Company or its actions.

    Details

    The Board of Directors

    Director Occupation Joined
    Ian Sneed Director of Operations @ Galt Power 2020
    Aleisha Khan Program Director @ Training Resources Group, Inc. 2018
    Gary Skulnik Clean energy executive @ Neighborhood Sun 2016
    William Bumpers Lawyer @ Self 2017
    Stacy Swann Business onwer @ Climate Finance Advisors 2018

    Officers

    Officer Title Joined
    Gary Skulnik President   Vice President   Secretary   CEO   2016

    Voting Power

    Holder Securities Held Voting Power
    Gary Skulnik 623,268 Common shares 40.5%

    Past Equity Fundraises

    Date Amount Security
    $426,127 SAFE
    12/2018 $230,000 Priced Round
    07/2018 $95,000 SAFE
    12/2019 $50,000 Loan
    01/2020 $53,000 Loan
    06/2020 $600,000 Priced Round
    04/2019 $50,000 Loan
    11/2017 $325,000 Priced Round

    Outstanding Debts

    Lender Issued Amount Oustanding Interest Maturity Current?
    Intuit 04/11/2019 $50,000 $0 12.0% 01/11/2020 Yes
    Gary Skulnik 12/11/2019 $50,000 $45,000 1.2% 12/31/2020 Yes
    Intuit 01/27/2020 $53,000 $35,879 9.99% 01/27/2021 Yes

    Related Party Transactions

    NameGary Skulnik
    Amount Invested$50,000
    Transaction typeLoan
    Issued12/11/2019
    Outstanding principal plus interest$45,000 as of 06/2020
    Interest1.2 per annum
    Maturity12/31/2020
    OutstandingYes
    Current with paymentsYes
    RelationshipCEO
     

    Use of Funds

    $100,000 33.5% towards expanding into new markets, 30% towards building an IT platform, 30% towards hiring senior management, and 6.5% towards the Wefunder intermediary fee.
    $1,070,000 33.5% towards expanding into new markets, 30% towards building an IT platform, 30% towards hiring senior management, and 6.5% towards the Wefunder intermediary fee.

    Capital Structure

    Class of Security Securities
    (or Amount)
    Authorized    		 Securities
    (or Amount)
    Outstanding    		 Voting
    Rights
    Common Stock 10,000,000 1,367,903 Yes
    Preferred Stock 175,979 105,588 Yes

    The Funding Portal

    Neighborhood Sun is conducting a Regulation Crowdfunding offering via Wefunder Portal LLC. CRD Number: #283503.

    Form C Filing on EDGAR

    The Securities and Exchange Commission hosts the official Form C on their EDGAR web site.




    Ask a Question

    Overview
    Story
    Traction
    Investor Q&A
    Financials
    Risks
    Details
    ← Back

    XX was built by Wefunder to invest in 20,000 new founders by 2029. In all 50 states across America. Of all backgrounds.

    XX Team LLC and XX Investments LLC are independent companies that license software from Wefunder Inc. Wefunder Inc is the parent company of Wefunder Advisors LLC, an exempt reporting adviser that advises SPVs used in Reg D offerings. Wefunder, Inc. is not regulated as either a broker-dealer or funding portal and is not a member of FINRA. Wefunder Inc. and none of it's associated persons, board members, or officers have a financial interest in XX Team LLC or XX Investments LLC. By using xx.team, you accept our Terms, Privacy Policy, & Investor Agreement. You may also view our Privacy Notice.

    Already have an account? Login

    Don't have an account? Signup

    Privacy: We won’t share your data with Facebook without your explicit permission.
    — or —
    Home Team Programs Blog FAQ
    Login