Nelnet Renewable Energy

What Nelnet Renewable Energy does

Nelnet Renewable Energy is a U.S. commercial and industrial (C&I) solar energy solutions provider and tax equity financing platform, formerly known as GRNE Solar and founded in 2012. Headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska (121 South 13th Street, Suite 100), the company operates as a subsidiary of Nelnet, Inc. (NYSE: NNI) with a 101-250 employee workforce. Its service portfolio spans four pillars: end-to-end solar development, commercial solar panel installation, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services, and capital solutions including tax equity financing and a CleanTech/ClimateTech co-investment platform. The firm has built over $313 million of tax equity under management in partnership with co-investors, and previously operated across Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin using an enterprise field sales go-to-market motion.

The revenue model blends professional services revenue from EPC work with managed services revenue from tax equity structuring and an affiliate-style referral/co-investment line. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Distribution has historically been direct enterprise sales to C&I customers, supplemented by state-specific warranty partners (Photon Brothers in Colorado, Jefferson Electric in Indiana, SolQ in Iowa, and Nebraska Solar Providers in Nebraska) that support legacy installations across the Midwest. The company's customer segments include C&I solar customers (primary), residential solar customers (legacy), and tax equity / co-investing partners.

On November 20, 2025, Nelnet Renewable Energy was acquired by MARS Energy Group, a national commercial and utility-scale solar EPC operator. The transaction transferred new C&I and EPC customer flow to MARS while Nelnet, Inc. retained the tax equity and co-investing operations. Existing legacy customers in Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin now access support via MARS, while customers in Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, and Nebraska are served by the regional warranty partners. The combined MARS-NRE platform claims enhanced national coverage, deeper technical and financial capabilities, and a unified execution team, but from the standalone Nelnet Renewable Energy entity perspective, the strategic center of gravity has narrowed to the retained financing and co-investment book.

Name

Nelnet Renewable Energy

Legal name

Nelnet Renewable Energy

Website

https://nelnetenergy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Nelnet Renewable Energy provides commercial and industrial solar development, EPC services, and tax equity financing across the U.S. Midwest. A Nelnet, Inc. subsidiary, it managed over $313M in tax equity and was acquired by MARS Energy Group in November 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Solar EPC Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solar Financing, Leasing & Ownership Platforms (Tax Equity, PPA, Securitization) (EUAMABAJ), Solar Balance-of-Plant EPC (Piles/Foundations, Trenching, Combiner Networks) (EUAEADAJ), Renewable Energy Infrastructure (FSAAAKAG)

Keywords

• Commercial solar EPC
• Tax equity financing
• Solar project development
• Community solar solutions
• Renewable energy investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Palatine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. EPC Services: Engineering, procurement, and construction services for commercial and utility-scale solar projects
2. Tax Equity Financing: Tax equity investment management for renewable energy projects. Over $313 million of tax equity under management between Nelnet and co-investment partners to date.
3. Co-Investment Platform: Venture capital investment in CleanTech and ClimateTech solutions through co-investment partnerships

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Nelnet Renewable Energy provides end-to-end commercial and community solar solutions, including solar project development, commercial-scale panel installation, and full engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services. It complements these operational offerings with tax equity financing (over $313 million under management) and a co-investment platform that deploys capital into CleanTech and ClimateTech ventures.

Product overview

Nelnet Renewable Energy offers a unified platform of solar energy solutions for commercial and industrial customers. The portfolio centers on four core service offerings: Solar Development (end-to-end project development), Commercial Solar Panel Installation (professional installation services), EPC Solutions (engineering, procurement, and construction), and Financing solutions. Under the financing umbrella, the company provides Tax Equity financing (with over $313M in managed tax equity) and a Co-Investing platform for clean technology investments. The company has been acquired by MARS Energy Group, which now handles new commercial solar services while Nelnet continues supporting legacy offerings for existing customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solar Development End-to-end solar energy project development services encompassing site assessment, design, engineering, and project planning for commercial and community solar installations, targeting business customers seeking turnkey solar deployment.
• Commercial Solar Panel Installation Professional installation services for commercial and industrial solar panel systems, providing turnkey solutions for businesses implementing on-site solar energy generation.
• EPC Solutions Engineering, Procurement, and Construction services for solar projects, delivering comprehensive project execution from design through commissioning for commercial and utility-scale solar deployments.
• Financing Financial solutions enabling commercial and industrial customers to access solar energy through various financing structures and arrangements, bundled with the company's solar development and EPC services.
• Tax Equity Tax equity financing solutions for renewable energy projects, with over $313 million of tax equity under management between the company and co-investment partners to date, targeting institutional investors and project developers.
• Co-Investing Co-investment platform partnering with investors to deploy capital in clean technology and climate technology solutions and innovation, providing venture-style exposure to climate-focused ventures alongside Nelnet.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MARS Energy GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2025MARS Energy Group acquired Nelnet Renewable Energy to expand its national commercial solar capabilities and strengthen regional presence in the Midwest. The acquisition aims to improve efficiency, scalability, and regional expansion for both entities, offering enhanced national coverage, deeper technical and financial capabilities.
• Photon BrothersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrusted partner providing workmanship warranty support for commercial and industrial solar customers in Colorado. Contact: [email protected], 720.704.5636.
• Jefferson ElectricminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrusted partner providing workmanship warranty support for commercial and industrial solar customers in Indiana. Contact: [email protected], 317.418.3917.
• SolQminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrusted partner providing workmanship warranty support for commercial and industrial solar customers in Iowa. Contact: [email protected], 888.903.8511.
• Nebraska Solar ProvidersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrusted partner providing workmanship warranty support for commercial and industrial solar customers in Nebraska. Contact: [email protected], 308.920.0315.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MARS Energy Group: National commercial and utility-scale solar EPC company that acquired Nelnet Renewable Energy in November 2025; directly comparable in C&I solar EPC service offerings and target customers.
• Pivot Energy: National C&I and community solar developer and EPC serving commercial customers across multiple U.S. states; competes head-to-head with Nelnet Renewable Energy in community and commercial solar development.
• Borrego Solar: One of the largest dedicated C&I solar EPC and O&M providers in the U.S., serving commercial, public-sector, and non-profit customers; directly comparable in EPC service delivery model.
• Catalyze: C&I renewable energy developer integrating solar, storage, and financing for commercial customers; comparable in development-to-financing vertical stack.
• IGS Solar: Commercial and industrial solar EPC and O&M provider operating across multiple U.S. regions with similar developer-to-EPC service model.
• DSD Renewables: National C&I solar EPC and project development firm with operations across the U.S.; direct peer in commercial rooftop and ground-mount solar EPC services.
• KDC Solar: Mid-Atlantic/Northeast C&I solar EPC and developer focused on commercial, public-sector, and community solar projects; similar service mix and target customer profile.

Broad incumbents

• ENGIE North America: Large incumbent utility-scale renewable energy developer and operator; broader portfolio but overlapping in commercial and utility-scale solar EPC where Nelnet competes.
• SunPower: Established U.S. residential and commercial solar company with broad national reach; incumbent competitor in C&I solar installation and financing.

Emerging players

• Dimension Energy: Emerging community and C&I solar developer focused on underutilized land for solar projects; comparable in community solar development and tax equity deployment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nelnetenergy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@nelnetenergy
• Facebookfacebook.com/NelnetEnergy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nelnetenergy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Nelnet Renewable Energy