Carbon Solutions Group
Carbon Solutions Group is a Chicago-based climate services company that aggregates and monetizes Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs), distributes EV charging infrastructure via its DirtRoad sub-brand, and provides ESG advisory and global REC procurement for corporate sustainability buyers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Carbon Solutions Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Carbon Solutions Group
- Legal name
- Carbon Solutions Group, llc.
- Website
- https://carbonsolutionsgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Carbon Solutions Group is a Chicago-based climate services company that aggregates and monetizes Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs), distributes EV charging infrastructure via its DirtRoad sub-brand, and provides ESG advisory and global REC procurement for corporate sustainability buyers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Carbon Solutions Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Renewable Energy Certificates / Distributed Energy Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Emissions Factors, LCA & Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) Platforms (EUABAEAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Carbon Offtake Structuring & Contracting (ERPA, Long-term Offtakes, Price Floors) (EUABADAE), Regulatory & Disclosure Strategy (CSRD/ESRS, ISSB/IFRS S2, SEC, TCFD) (EUABAKAH), Data Assurance, Audit & Attestation (ISAE 3000/3410, SOC, Chain-of-Custody) (EUABACAJ)
Keywords
Where Carbon Solutions Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Carbon Solutions Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- SREC Aggregation and Monetization: CSG aggregates Solar Renewable Energy Certificates from residential and commercial solar system owners across 20 states. Revenue generated through commission/transaction fees on SREC sales, with various payment structures including brokerage, 5-year fixed-price, and 25-year prepaid lump sum options.
- Global REC Trading: Trading of Renewable Energy Certificates across 60+ global markets including Green-e, Ecologo, I-REC, Guarantees of Origin, T-REC, GEC, and NFC standards. Revenue from transaction fees on REC sales with various product tiers (Standard, PLUS+, Minimal Claim, G-RECs, Carbon Offsets, RTCs).
- EV Charging Services (DirtRoad): DirtRoad operates EV charging infrastructure offering Charging as a Service (CaaS), Fleet Subscriptions, and Partnership models. Revenue from monthly fees, annual subscriptions, and utilization-based revenue sharing.
- ESG Advisory and Procurement Services: Corporate sustainability consulting, decarbonization strategy, and environmental attribute procurement services for LEED projects and corporate decarbonization.
- Geothermal REC Aggregation: Aggregation of Geothermal Renewable Energy Certificates (G-RECs) from Ground Source Heat Pump systems, converting energy savings to RECs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Charging as a Service (CaaS) - Monthly fee model for EV charging infrastructure |
| Subscription | Annual | Fleet Subscription - Annual subscription for EV fleet charging infrastructure |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | SREC Payment Structures - Multiple options for solar system owners |
| Other | Multi-year contract | LEED Project and Corporate REC Quotes |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Carbon Solutions Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Carbon Solutions Group helps property owners develop and monetize distributed generation systems (primarily rooftop solar and geothermal) by aggregating Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs) across 20 U.S. states for over 20,000 customers. Through its DirtRoad sub-brand it deploys and operates EV charging infrastructure (Charging as a Service and Fleet Subscriptions) supported by a mobile app for drivers, and through its ESG Services arm it procures and trades global environmental attributes including RECs, PLUS+ RECs, G-RECs, Carbon Offsets, and RTCs while advising corporations on RE100, SBTi, LEED, and GHG Protocol compliance.
Product overview
Carbon Solutions Group operates as a multi-unit climate technology company with three principal business divisions: Solar and SREC Aggregation (managing over 20,000 active solar projects across 20 states), DirtRoad (EV charging infrastructure development with 250+ active chargers), and ESG Services (sustainability advisory and environmental attribute procurement). The product portfolio centers on environmental attribute certificates including RECs, PLUS+ RECs (premium with scoring methodology), PLUS+ DG Solar RECs, G-RECs, Carbon Offsets, and RTCs, alongside EV charging solutions (Charging as a Service, Fleet Subscription, DirtRoad app), LEED certification support, and CO2 project development services. The company also offers a proprietary Upstream platform (in development) for marketplace procurement of environmental attributes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DirtRoad: EV charging solutions brand providing charging infrastructure for drivers, communities, fleets, and commercial/industrial facilities. Offers Charging as a Service (CaaS), Fleet Subscription, and Partnership models. Has over 250 chargers in operation and 1,000 chargers in development.
Products and services
- Solar and SREC Aggregation
Quantifiable outcome
- 3rd largest REC marketer by volume in the country
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Carbon Solutions Group
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Carbon Solutions Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature5 records
Carbon Solutions Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Upstream LeasecoreDedicated division of CSG focusing on residential and commercial geothermal leasing. Supports the GSHP REC aggregation business by handling equipment leasing for ground source heat pump systems.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Carbon Solutions Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ChargePoint: ChargePoint operates the largest independent EV charging network in North America with tens of thousands of ports. Direct competitor to DirtRoad in the CaaS and fleet subscription segments, with significantly greater scale, capital, and brand recognition.
- EVgo: EVgo is a public, well-capitalized DC fast charging network operator. Competitor to DirtRoad's DC fast charger and fleet charging offerings, with substantially larger network footprint and public market capital access.
- ACT Commodities: ACT Commodities is a global environmental commodity broker covering RECs, Guarantees of Origin, and carbon allowances across 40+ markets. Comparable to CSG's global REC trading business (60+ markets) for enterprise buyers, though ACT operates at substantially larger scale from its European base.
Direct peers
- South Pole Group: South Pole is a global carbon credit and REC broker with deep corporate advisory and project development capabilities. Comparable to CSG's ESG Services and carbon offset business, particularly for Fortune 500 buyers seeking I-REC, Guarantees of Origin, and Verified Emission Reduction purchases.
- Sterling Planet: Sterling Planet is a long-tenured REC marketer and aggregator (acquired by Algonquin Power), directly competing with CSG on Solar REC aggregation, Green-e certified REC sales, and corporate procurement programs. Comparable business model focused on US-based distributed generation certificates.
- 3Degrees: 3Degrees is one of the largest US-based REC marketers and a direct competitor to CSG's global REC trading and corporate sustainability advisory business. Both serve enterprise buyers seeking renewable energy certificates and carbon offsets to meet RE100/SBTi commitments. 3Degrees was acquired by Engie in 2022, making it the most direct comparable on scale and product mix.
Emerging players
- Patch: Patch is an API-first carbon credit and REC marketplace targeting software platforms and corporate buyers. Direct competitor to CSG's planned Upstream marketplace product, particularly for embedded B2B procurement of high-integrity environmental attributes.
- Dandelion Energy: Dandelion Energy is a residential geothermal heat pump installer and lessor. Adjacent to CSG's Upstream Lease division and G-REC aggregation business, with direct overlap on residential geothermal deployment and potential competitive overlap on monetizing GSHP environmental attributes.
- Recurve: Recurve (formerly kWh Analytics) is a climate data and verification platform focused on distributed energy resources and grid-flexible load. Comparable to CSG's PLUS+ scoring methodology and Upstream audit-ready reporting vision, particularly for utility and corporate buyers seeking granular renewable attribute data.
- Watershed: Watershed is a corporate climate platform combining carbon accounting, REC/offset procurement, and audit-ready reporting — directly competitive with CSG's ESG advisory and the Upstream platform vision. Watershed targets the same Fortune 500 buyer and positions as a software-enabled alternative to traditional brokers like CSG.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Carbon Solutions Group social profiles
Digital presenceCarbon Solutions Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Carbon Solutions Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Carbon Solutions Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Carbon Solutions Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Carbon Solutions Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Carbon Solutions Group 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 Carbon Solutions Group
What does Carbon Solutions Group do?
Carbon Solutions Group helps property owners develop and monetize distributed generation systems (primarily rooftop solar and geothermal) by aggregating Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs) across 20 U.S. states for over 20,000 customers. Through its DirtRoad sub-brand it deploys and operates EV charging infrastructure (Charging as a Service and Fleet Subscriptions) supported by a mobile app for drivers, and through its ESG Services arm it procures and trades global environmental attributes including RECs, PLUS+ RECs, G-RECs, Carbon Offsets, and RTCs while advising corporations on RE100, SBTi, LEED, and GHG Protocol compliance.
Is Carbon Solutions Group a public or private company?
Carbon Solutions Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Carbon Solutions Group founded?
Carbon Solutions Group was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Carbon Solutions Group based?
Carbon Solutions Group is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Carbon Solutions Group make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. SREC Aggregation and Monetization is the primary driver. The others are global REC Trading, EV Charging Services (DirtRoad), ESG Advisory and Procurement Services and geothermal REC Aggregation.
Who are Carbon Solutions Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are ChargePoint, EVgo and ACT Commodities. Direct peers are South Pole Group, Sterling Planet and 3Degrees. Emerging players are Patch, Dandelion Energy, Recurve and Watershed.
Does Carbon Solutions Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Carbon Solutions Group.
What industry is Carbon Solutions Group in?
Carbon Solutions Group's product category is Renewable Energy Certificates / Distributed Energy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABAEAD, Emissions Factors, LCA & Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) Platforms, with a secondary code of EUABADAE, Carbon Offtake Structuring & Contracting (ERPA, Long-term Offtakes, Price Floors).