Sterling Planet

What Sterling Planet does

Sterling Planet is a privately held U.S. environmental attribute provider founded in 2000 and headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, that sells Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), verified carbon offsets, and energy efficiency certificates to residential, business, utility, and government customers. The company operates a portfolio of trademarked product lines — SterlingWind™ RECs from new U.S. wind generation, SterlingClimate™ carbon offsets from U.S. landfill gas-to-energy projects verified under VCS and Climate Action Reserve, and White Tags® metered energy efficiency certificates — and was the first to market a national REC product in 2001 and the first White Tags® transaction in 2011 (with Selfridge Air National Guard Base). Revenue mechanics span four streams: direct e-commerce sales of RECs and offsets to consumers and businesses (unit/subscription pricing, e.g., $15 per 1,000 kWh residential, $0.01–0.02 per month business); embedded utility green pricing programs where Sterling NY/MA/RI/CT Choice™ products are billed through partner utilities (National Grid, United Illuminating, PSEG Long Island, Eversource, Rhode Island Energy); enterprise LEED Green Power consulting using LEED-accredited staff to size REC/offset purchases to building electrical load; and downstream energy services through Sterling Analytics (LED/HVAC/building automation with shared savings), Sterling Energy Assets (microgrid, solar, storage development), and Sterling Investments (PPA, ESCO, and tax-credit-based project finance). The company positions itself as a one-stop environmental attribute and on-site clean energy partner, with cumulative claims of 20+ billion pounds of CO2 averted and 5+ billion kWh delivered to EPA Green Power Partnership members (where Sterling Planet holds the #1 supplier ranking). Its go-to-market blends direct-to-consumer e-commerce, utility channel partnerships, and field-based enterprise sales supported by Salesforce CRM, with no disclosed institutional investors beyond a 2007 Low Carbon Accelerator funding round.

Name

Sterling Planet

Legal name

Sterling Planet

Website

https://sterlingplanet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sterling Planet is a U.S. environmental attribute provider selling Green-e Energy certified RECs, VCS/CAR-verified carbon offsets, and White Tags® energy efficiency certificates to residential, business, utility, and government customers, distributed via direct e-commerce, embedded utility green pricing programs, and enterprise LEED consulting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Renewable Energy Certificates and Carbon Offsets

NAICS

Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) (533)

akta.pro primary industry

Certificate Origination & Market Making (Liquidity Provision) (EUAGAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Voluntary Carbon Offsets Trading (Verified Credits: VCM) (EUAGAIAB), Compliance Carbon Allowances Trading (Cap-and-Trade: EU ETS, UK ETS, California, RGGI, etc.) (EUAGAIAA), Green Tariffs & Utility Renewable Supply Programs (EUAGADAJ), REC/GO Retail Supply & Green Tariffs (Bundled/Unbundled) (EUAMAKAF)

Keywords

• Renewable energy certificates
• Carbon offset products
• Energy efficiency certificates
• Utility green pricing
• Carbon credit trading

Headquarters

HQ city

Alpharetta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs): Sale of renewable energy certificates to residential and business customers, available as one-time purchases or monthly recurring subscriptions. SterlingWind™ products priced per 1,000 kWh.
2. Carbon Offsets: Sale of verified carbon offsets from U.S. landfill gas utilization projects, verified by VCS and CAR. SterlingClimate™ products available for personal, business, and travel use cases.
3. LEED Green Power Points: Sale of Green-e Energy certified RECs and carbon offsets for LEED building certification points, with consulting services to determine points needed.
4. White Tags® Energy Efficiency Certificates: Sale of energy efficiency certificates representing metered electricity or natural gas savings from efficiency projects.
5. Utility Green Pricing Programs: Revenue from utility partnerships where Sterling Planet provides renewable energy products integrated into utility customer bills (National Grid, UI, PSEG, Eversource programs).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sterling Planet sells environmental attribute certificates including SterlingWind™ Renewable Energy Certificates, SterlingClimate™ verified carbon offsets, and White Tags® energy efficiency certificates to residential, business, utility, and government customers. The company also develops utility green pricing programs in partnership with regional utilities and provides LEED Green Power consulting, solar project development through Sterling Energy Assets, project financing through Sterling Investments, and building energy efficiency services through Sterling Analytics.

Product overview

Sterling Planet is a renewable energy and carbon offset provider offering a diversified portfolio of environmental products. The core offerings include SterlingWind™ RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates) from new wind generation for both residential and business customers, and SterlingClimate™ carbon offsets verified by VCS and CAR standards. The portfolio includes specialized products for travel emissions, LEED certification support, and regional utility programs (Sterling NY Choice™, Sterling MA Choice™, Sterling RI Choice™, Sterling CT Choice™). Supporting divisions include Sterling Analytics (energy efficiency building optimization), Sterling Energy Assets (renewable project development), Sterling Investments (project financing), and White Tags® (energy efficiency certificates). The company also offers community solar, solar power development, and the Greencom community app. Sterling Planet pioneered the first national REC product in 2001 and has since sold RECs that have averted over 20 billion pounds of CO2 emissions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SterlingWind™: Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) product for residential and business customers from new wind generation projects nationwide.
• SterlingClimate™
• Sterling Energy Assets
• Sterling Analytics
• Greencom
• White Tags®
• Sterling MA Choice™
• Sterling NY Choice™
• Sterling RI Choice™
• Sterling CT Choice™

Products and services

• SterlingWind™ Residential RECs Green-e Energy certified Renewable Energy Certificates from new U.S. wind generation projects, sold to residential consumers in 1,000 kWh blocks at $15 per block with monthly subscription or one-time purchase options.
• SterlingWind™ for Business RECs

Quantifiable outcome

• Averted 20+ billion pounds of CO2 through REC sales
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Green-e EnergycoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party certification body for renewable energy and greenhouse gas reductions in the retail market. All Sterling Planet RECs are Green-e Energy certified ensuring verified source, type, and geographic origin of renewable certificates.
• Verified Carbon Standard (VCS)coreTechnology or IntegrationGlobal standards developer for voluntary carbon markets. SterlingClimate™ carbon offsets are VCS verified from U.S. landfill gas utilization projects.
• Climate Action Reserve (CAR)coreTechnology or IntegrationNorth American GHG registry providing regulatory-quality project protocols. SterlingClimate™ carbon offsets are CAR verified ensuring high integrity emission reductions.
• U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSGBC develops LEED green building certification system. Sterling Planet is a USGBC member offering LEED-accredited staff and products to help buildings earn certification points through REC and carbon offset purchases.
• National GridcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUtility partner offering Sterling NY Choice™, Sterling MA Choice™, and Sterling RI Choice™ programs to National Grid customers in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island through green pricing integration.
• EversourcecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConnecticut utility partner offering Sterling CT Choice™ program (100% Regional Wind, Small Hydro, and Recovered Landfill Gas) to Eversource customers through green pricing program.
• United IlluminatingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConnecticut utility partner offering regional renewable energy program to United Illuminating customers with wind, small hydro, and recovered landfill gas options.
• PSEG Long IslandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong Island utility partner offering Sterling NY Choice™ through Green Choice voluntary program, providing 100% New York Wind & Small Hydro at 3.5¢ per kWh.
• Rhode Island EnergycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRhode Island utility partner offering Sterling RI Choice™ program with 25% New England Class I Wind and 75% New England Hydroelectric.
• 100+ Utilities NationwidecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 100 utilities have entered agreements with Sterling Planet since 2001 for Regional Green Power programs including renewable energy sales, green pricing, and consulting services.
• Chesapeake Bay FoundationminorOthersEnvironmental nonprofit supported through Sterling Planet's corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sterlingplanet
• Facebookfacebook.com/SterlingPlanet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sterling-planet

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Sterling Planet