SunShare
SunShare is a Denver-based community solar developer, owner, and operator that builds, owns, and manages community solar gardens across nine U.S. states, selling subscription-based access to subscribers including residents, businesses, and municipalities served by utilities such as Xcel Energy and PNM.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersDenver, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What SunShare does
SunShare is a Denver-based community solar developer, owner, and operator founded in 2011 by David Amster-Olszewski. The company builds, finances, and manages community solar gardens on land leased or purchased from local farmers and landowners, and sells subscriptions that allow residents, renters, businesses, and municipalities to receive credits on their utility bills in proportion to the energy produced by the gardens. Its utility partners include Xcel Energy and PNM, and its active development footprint spans nine U.S. states including Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania. SunShare has developed over 92 community solar gardens representing 144+ MW of operational capacity and 220 MW of developed-and-under-construction capacity, serving 19,000+ subscribers across residential, commercial/municipal, and income-qualified segments.
SunShare's product surface extends beyond community solar subscriptions to include the Glory modular residential battery storage system, built around proprietary eXtraSolid™ semi-solid-state battery cells with integrated fire suppression and 24/7 battery management, and available in 1.5 kWh and 2 kWh modules scalable up to 10 kWh. The Glory system has been launched in Germany via Solar Solutions Düsseldorf, signaling an intent to expand distributed energy storage internationally. The company also operates an Energy Assistance Program offering discounted subscriptions to income-qualified customers meeting 200% of the federal poverty line or 80% area median income thresholds.
Revenue is generated through two primary streams: recurring community solar subscription revenue from the spread between SunShare's rate and the utility bill credit rate, and land development revenue from leasing or purchasing land for solar garden sites. Customer acquisition combines direct-to-consumer website enrollment, bilingual community solar consultants (1099 independent contractors), and channel partnerships with affordable housing providers, ESG organizations, and faith-based institutions. SunShare is a privately held LLC that has received $30 million in funding from Ember Infrastructure (September 2021) and has transitioned from a developer into an owner-operator of solar assets.
SunShare firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SunShare
- Legal name
- SunShare, LLC
- Website
- https://mysunshare.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SunShare is a Denver-based community solar developer, owner, and operator that builds, owns, and manages community solar gardens across nine U.S. states, selling subscription-based access to subscribers including residents, businesses, and municipalities served by utilities such as Xcel Energy and PNM.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SunShare industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Solar Energy Services
- NAICS
- Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)
- SIC
- Electric Services (4911), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Solar Development & Subscription Management (EUAMAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB), Solar Financing, Leasing & Ownership Platforms (Tax Equity, PPA, Securitization) (EUAMABAJ), Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ)
Keywords
Where SunShare is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
SunShare business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Community Solar Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from residential, commercial, and municipal subscribers who pay for solar energy credits generated by community solar gardens. Subscribers receive bill credits from utility companies (Xcel Energy, PNM) offsetting their energy costs. Revenue derived from the spread between SunShare's community solar rate and utility bill credit rate.
- Land Development: Revenue from leasing or purchasing land from local farmers and landowners for solar garden development. Provides landowners with consistent revenue stream while SunShare builds and operates solar gardens long-term.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Residential Subscription |
| Subscription | Monthly | LMI Energy Assistance Program |
| Subscription | Monthly | Commercial/Municipal Subscription |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
SunShare product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SunShare builds, owns, and operates community solar gardens on leased or purchased land, then sells subscriptions to residential, commercial, municipal, and non-profit subscribers who receive bill credits from their utility (Xcel Energy, PNM) for their share of solar energy generated. Subscribers pay a monthly SunShare subscription and receive offsetting utility bill credits, designed for net zero out-of-pocket cost. The company also operates an Energy Assistance Program for income-qualified households and a Glory modular residential battery storage product line.
Product overview
SunShare is a community solar company that operates a platform of community solar gardens and subscription services. The core offering consists of community solar subscriptions where subscribers receive bill credits from utility companies for their share of energy produced by SunShare's solar gardens. This is complemented by the Glory modular residential storage system (available in 1.5 kWh and 2 kWh modules scalable up to 10 kWh) featuring proprietary eXtraSolid™ technology with semi-solid battery cells. The company also maintains an Energy Assistance Program for income-qualified subscribers. SunShare develops, owns, and operates all solar gardens, providing end-to-end service from land acquisition through ongoing subscriber management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Community Solar Gardens
Quantifiable outcome
- Net zero cost for subscribers after bill credits (billing model ensures $0 net difference between SunShare bill and utility credit)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SunShare
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SunShare technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
SunShare partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CommonBond CommunitiescoreSunShare partners with CommonBond Communities, Minnesota's leading affordable housing provider, to offer community solar subscriptions that help residents save on electricity bills while accessing clean energy. SunShare's Community Solar Energy Assistance Program extends discounted rates to low- and moderate-income residents.
- CSolPower LLCcoreSunShare invested in CSolPower, a certified New Mexico Resident Veteran Business developing solar thermal power generation and storage technology. Partnership aims to increase New Mexico renewable energy workforce and advance locally-developed technologies.
- NM Healthy Soil Working GroupcoreTeaming agreement to co-locate clean energy production with regenerative agriculture and soil practices on solar garden sites including irrigated farm sites, dryland farm sites, and climate threatened sites. Educational partnership for soil health stewardship.
- GRID AlternativescorePartnership provides community solar subscriptions for income-qualified Xcel Energy customers with no upfront cost. Includes community-based educational programming, job training opportunities, solar garden tours, and community events.
- Archdiocese of DenverminorLaudato Si initiative providing community solar subscriptions for income-qualified Xcel Energy customers in Colorado. Includes discounted subscriptions and educational programming supporting emission-free electric generation.
- Tangletown GardensminorAgrivoltaics partnership at BuffaloSun Community Solar Garden in Plato, Minnesota. Farmer grows fresh produce around solar arrays, creating synergy between clean energy and sustainable farming with farm-to-table restaurant integration.
- Santa Fe Habitat for HumanityminorMOU for discounted community solar subscriptions to applicants and recipients of affordable homeownership programs in Santa Fe area. Serves both renters and homeowners meeting eligibility requirements.
- ACE Leadership High SchoolminorAlbuquerque charter school partnership including Cleaner Brighter Futures scholarship program, educational programming, discounted subscriptions for income-qualified students, and donations to school or nonprofit of school's choice.
- Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native WomenminorSunShare invested in CSVANW for trainings, education, and technical assistance. Focus on economic growth, health, and workforce development for New Mexico and its Tribal communities.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SunShare competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pivot Energy: National community solar developer and owner-operator building subscription-based solar gardens for residential and commercial subscribers across multiple U.S. states. Highly comparable to SunShare's developer-owner-operator model, multi-state footprint, and subscription go-to-market.
- Solstice: Community solar subscriber acquisition and management platform connecting customers to local community solar projects. Directly comparable to SunShare's subscription business and its focus on expanding equitable access to community solar, including LMI customers.
- Neighborhood Sun: Community solar subscription company that recruits and manages subscribers for community solar projects, with a focus on residential and LMI customers. Closely matches SunShare's subscription-led, community-engagement GTM and subscriber-management focus.
- Arcadia: Clean energy platform that facilitates community solar subscriptions and manages energy data for households and businesses. Comparable to SunShare in enabling subscription access to community solar without rooftop installation, with broader energy-data capabilities.
- Cypress Creek Renewables: Solar developer with significant community solar subscriptions and projects across multiple U.S. states. Comparable to SunShare as a multi-state community solar developer competing for similar utility program allocations.
- CleanChoice Energy: Renewable energy supplier offering community solar subscriptions and 100% renewable electricity plans to residential and commercial customers. Closely comparable to SunShare's subscription-based clean energy access model for customers who can't install rooftop solar.
Broad incumbents
- Clearway Community Solar: Subsidiary of Clearway Energy Group operating one of the largest community solar portfolios in the U.S. Overlaps directly with SunShare's community solar subscription business but at materially greater scale and with utility-scale PPA capabilities.
- ENGIE Distributed Solar & Storage: Global utility and renewable developer with U.S. distributed solar and community solar programs. Comparable to SunShare in product offering (community solar subscriptions and storage) but operates at vastly greater scale and with broader geographic and capital resources.
Others
- Uplight: Energy software and services provider serving utilities and clean energy providers with customer engagement, DERMS, and program management. Adjacent to SunShare as a technology enabler for community solar program operations and utility program delivery.
Regional players
- Sustainable Westchester: New York-based nonprofit operating community solar subscription programs (Solarize and Community Solar campaigns) in Westchester County. Comparable community solar subscriber-acquisition model to SunShare, but with a regional (NY-only) focus rather than SunShare's multi-state footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SunShare social profiles
Digital presenceSunShare financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SunShare leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
SunShare subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
SunShare funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SunShare M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SunShare
What does SunShare do?
SunShare builds, owns, and operates community solar gardens on leased or purchased land, then sells subscriptions to residential, commercial, municipal, and non-profit subscribers who receive bill credits from their utility (Xcel Energy, PNM) for their share of solar energy generated. Subscribers pay a monthly SunShare subscription and receive offsetting utility bill credits, designed for net zero out-of-pocket cost. The company also operates an Energy Assistance Program for income-qualified households and a Glory modular residential battery storage product line.
Is SunShare a public or private company?
SunShare is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was SunShare founded?
SunShare was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SunShare based?
SunShare is headquartered in Denver, United States, in the North America region.
How does SunShare make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Community Solar Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are land Development.
Who are SunShare's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pivot Energy, Solstice, Neighborhood Sun, Arcadia, Cypress Creek Renewables and CleanChoice Energy. Broad incumbents are Clearway Community Solar and ENGIE Distributed Solar & Storage. Uplight is listed as an others. Sustainable Westchester is listed as a regional player.
Does SunShare have an API?
No public API is recorded for SunShare.
What industry is SunShare in?
SunShare's product category is Community Solar Energy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMAJAA, Community Solar Development & Subscription Management, with a secondary code of EUAMABAB, Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System). Its NAICS code is 221114 and its SIC code is 4911.