Neighborhood Sun Benefit

What Neighborhood Sun Benefit does

Neighborhood Sun Benefit Corp is a Maryland-registered benefit corporation and Certified B Corp founded in 2016 by Gary Skulnik (previously president of Clean Currents, which reached roughly $22M in annual revenue) together with MOM's Organic Market founder Scott Nash. The company operates a community solar subscription service that connects residential and small-commercial electricity customers to shares of local, off-site solar farms and passes the resulting credits through to subscribers' utility bills at a 5–30% discount, with no upfront costs, no rooftop installation, and contracts that lock in those savings for up to 20 years. Its subscriber base of 13,000+ is served across at least nine U.S. jurisdictions — Colorado, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, and Washington D.C. — with a particular focus on low- and moderate-income (LMI) households through its S.H.A.R.E. program, which reserves project capacity and offers enhanced discounts to qualifying customers.

The core operating asset is SunEngine, a proprietary in-house customer-management platform built by CTO John Wilson and VP of Software Development Scott Ford — both Bullfrog Power alumni — that handles subscriber onboarding, billing, utility-credit reconciliation, and third-party integrations. Subscribers interact with the platform through the MySolar web portal and, since June 2025, a native mobile app on Google Play and Apple App Store. The S.H.A.R.E. (Solar Helps Advance Resident Equality) initiative and the Neighbor Benefit Fund (which receives 1% of annual revenue to assist subscribers in crisis) extend the core subscription into an equity-focused product layer, while brand extensions such as Astral Power in New York and the "Solar Gardens by Syncarpha" DBA support multi-state go-to-market. The company holds the highest B Corp score among U.S. community solar providers and has been recognized as B Lab "Best for the World" in Environment (2021, 2022) and Governance (2018, 2019), and it earned an American-Made Inclusive Solar Outreach Award in 2022.

Revenue is generated by charging subscribers the discounted cost of their allocated community solar credits on a monthly recurring basis, with the spread between the host utility's tariff and the subscriber's bill representing the company's economics. Customer acquisition is primarily sales-led and direct-to-consumer via online signup, augmented by community partnerships (MOM's Organic Market, Howard EcoWorks, Blue Water Baltimore), referral incentives ($50 gift card per successful referral), utility-channel listings (Xcel Energy's Solar*Rewards in Colorado), and government-affordable-housing relationships such as the 829-unit Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission subscription. Capital formation has been small-scale and continuous: a 2017 equity seed round, a 2020 WeFunder retail crowdfunding campaign, and SEC Form D exempt offerings of approximately $2M (2021, of which $1.3M was sold) and $1.5M (2023). Total disclosed funding to date is on the order of $3M, consistent with capital-efficient, bootstrapped multi-state expansion rather than venture-scale scaling.

Name

Neighborhood Sun Benefit

Legal name

Neighborhood Sun, Benefit Corp

Website

https://neighborhoodsun.solar

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Neighborhood Sun Benefit is a Maryland-based Certified B Corp that runs a multi-state community solar subscription service, connecting 13,000+ residential and small-commercial customers to local solar farms for 5–30% electricity-bill discounts with no upfront costs or rooftop installation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Solar Subscriptions

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Solar Development & Subscription Management (EUAMAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solar Financing, Leasing & Ownership Platforms (Tax Equity, PPA, Securitization) (EUAMABAJ), Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind (EUAMAJAD), Solar Mounting, Racking & Trackers (Fixed-Tilt, Single/Dual-Axis, Rooftop Mounts) (EUAMABAF), Demand Response & Load Flexibility Services (EUAMAJAF), Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ)

Keywords

• Community solar subscriptions
• Distributed solar energy
• Clean energy access
• Residential solar savings
• Solar subscription management

Headquarters

HQ city

Silver Spring

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Community Solar Subscription Revenue: Neighborhood Sun charges subscribers for their share of community solar energy credits at a discounted rate (between 5-30% savings, depending on project and income level). Subscribers receive solar credits on their utility bills, and Neighborhood Sun invoices them separately for the discounted cost of those credits.
2. S.H.A.R.E. Program Subscriptions: Solar Helps Advance Resident Equality (S.H.A.R.E.) program provides increased cost savings and reserved space on certain projects for Low- and Moderate-Income households, expanding the subscriber base to underserved communities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Neighborhood Sun operates a community solar subscription service that connects renters, homeowners, and businesses to designated shares of energy from local, off-site solar farms, then bills subscribers for those credits at a 5–30% discount versus their utility rate. The subscription is delivered through the proprietary SunEngine management platform and accessed via the MySolar web portal and a 2025-launched mobile app, with no panels, installations, or upfront fees required of the subscriber.

Product overview

Neighborhood Sun operates as a community solar subscription service, offering a unified platform for subscribers to access discounted clean energy from local solar farms. The core offering consists of community solar subscriptions coordinated through the proprietary SunEngine™ platform, which manages customer accounts, billing, and project connections. Subscribers access their accounts via the MySolar web portal and newly launched mobile app (2025), while low- and moderate-income households benefit from the S.H.A.R.E. equity program and Neighbor Benefit Fund emergency assistance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• S.H.A.R.E. Solar Helps Advance Resident Equality program providing increased cost savings and reserved space on certain projects for Low- and Moderate Income households.
• Neighbor Benefit Fund
• SunEngine
• MySolar
• Astral Power

Products and services

• Community Solar Subscription Service A subscription-based service allowing renters, homeowners, and businesses to subscribe to local community solar farms and receive credits on their utility bills at a discounted rate (5–30% savings), with no upfront costs or installations required. Available across multiple U.S. states via online signup.
• SunEngine™ Subscriber Management Platform Proprietary customer management software platform developed in-house that handles subscriber signup processes, a personalized secure customer support portal, billing, and third-party integrations for community solar subscription management.
• MySolar Customer Portal Customer-facing web portal where subscribers can view past bills, monthly savings, and environmental impact data, manage their accounts, and access community solar contracts.
• Neighborhood Sun Community Solar Mobile App Mobile application launched in June 2025 on Google Play and the Apple App Store that enables community solar subscribers to manage their accounts, track savings and environmental impact, make account updates, and submit referrals.
• S.H.A.R.E. (Solar Helps Advance Resident Equality) Program Equity-focused program providing increased cost savings and reserved capacity on certain community solar projects for Low- and Moderate-Income households, expanding clean energy access to underserved communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• $8 Million+ saved by subscribers on electricity costs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission (MCHOC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCHOC partnered with Neighborhood Sun to bring clean energy access to low- and moderate-income residents of 829 affordable housing units through subscription to the Oaks Landfill community solar farm.
• MOM's Organic MarketcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMOM's Organic Market founder Scott Nash co-founded the company with Gary Skulnik. MOM's Organic Market locations serve as community partnership sites where customers learn about and subscribe to community solar.
• Howard EcoWorksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to increase access to community solar in the B.G.E. area through joint community outreach and clean energy opportunities.
• Blue Water BaltimoreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to share impactful clean energy opportunity for community members in the B.G.E. service area.
• Compost CrewminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership focused on productless promotions that produce less waste and pollution. Joint campaign resulted in equivalent of 100 cars taken off the road for a year.
• Xcel EnergycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNeighborhood Sun is listed on Xcel Energy's website as a solar garden provider through Colorado's Solar*Rewards program, the nation's largest community solar program.
• ForestPlanetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner through which Neighborhood Sun plants 100 trees for each investor who invests at least $500 in their community round.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Arcadia: Arcadia is a clean energy data and community solar subscription platform connecting households to renewable energy projects. Like Neighborhood Sun, it aggregates subscribers and manages community solar onboarding, billing, and utility integrations across multiple U.S. states.
• SunShare: SunShare is a community solar developer and subscription manager operating across multiple U.S. states. It directly competes with Neighborhood Sun in the same community solar subscription market, serving residential and commercial customers without rooftop installations.
• CleanChoice Energy: CleanChoice Energy is a renewable energy supplier offering community solar and wind subscription products to residential customers across multiple states. It overlaps with Neighborhood Sun's subscription model, customer base, and multi-state go-to-market approach.
• Solstice: Solstice is a community solar subscription platform with a strong focus on LMI customer acquisition. It directly competes with Neighborhood Sun in the same mission-driven community solar space and shares the energy equity focus.
• Groundswell: Groundswell is a community solar developer and subscription manager focused on LMI and multifamily customers across multiple U.S. states. It overlaps with Neighborhood Sun's subscription platform, equity-focused GTM, and B2B partnerships with affordable housing providers.

Broad incumbents

• Uplight: Uplight is a clean energy SaaS platform serving utilities and energy providers with customer engagement, DER management, and energy efficiency solutions. Its subscription management and integration capabilities overlap with Neighborhood Sun's SunEngine platform at the utility-software layer.
• Sunrun: Sunrun is a large residential solar installer and subscription provider offering rooftop solar leases and PPAs. While primarily focused on rooftop solar, it competes for the same residential clean energy subscriber dollars as Neighborhood Sun's community solar offerings.

Emerging players

• EnergySage: EnergySage is an online solar marketplace connecting consumers with solar installers and community solar providers. It overlaps with Neighborhood Sun in residential customer acquisition for community solar and serves as a comparable lead-generation channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/neighborhoodsun
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCNfjDMXSa6r4kW7i-9KiVYQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/neighborhoodsun
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/neighborhood-sun
• Instagraminstagram.com/neighborhoodsun

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Neighborhood Sun Benefit