What Amicus Solar Cooperative does

Amicus Solar Cooperative, founded in 2011 and headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, is a 100% member-owned purchasing cooperative serving independent solar installation companies across the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Canada. It was established in response to consolidation pressure from large national and PE-backed solar firms, offering smaller, community-based installers an alternative path to scale through collective action rather than acquisition. The cooperative's product is unified: membership itself, which bundles four service lines — a searchable member directory routing end-customers to vetted installers, a collective purchasing platform that aggregates equipment purchases to negotiate price discounts and cash dividends with manufacturers, structured best-practice sharing across 80+ functional areas among 5,000+ solar and storage professionals, and federal and state policy advocacy on distributed energy resources, trade policy, and Inflation Reduction Act implementation. Eligibility for membership requires 10+ years of operating experience, 4.5+ star customer reviews, NABCEP certification, and demonstrated financial strength, which together function as both a quality gate and a barrier to free-riding.

The business model rests on three revenue streams: a one-time share of common stock purchased by each new member company, transactional rebates/dividends from manufacturer suppliers participating in the cooperative's procurement programs, and recurring member-related fees supporting ongoing operations. Amicus operates a deliberately small central staff (approximately seven employees, led by CEO Ruby Carbajal and President/Co-Founder Stephen Irvin) and reinvests member value through B Corp-aligned governance rather than external equity. As a Certified B Corporation with an impact score of 135.4 (vs. a 50.9 median and 80-point certification minimum), recognized as 'Best for the World' in environment and governance, a founding member of the B Corp Climate Collective, and a Public Benefit Corporation, Amicus's strategic identity is explicitly values-led. The cooperative reports no acquisitions, no external funding rounds, and no public listing; growth is organic and member-driven.

Name

Amicus Solar Cooperative

Legal name

Amicus Solar Cooperative

Website

https://amicussolar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solar Industry Cooperative Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar Distribution & Wholesale Supply (Channel, Procurement, Logistics) (EUAMABAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities) (EUADABAC)

Keywords

• Solar purchasing cooperative
• Collective buying group
• Solar industry advocacy
• Member-owned cooperative
• Renewable energy purchasing

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Shares: Each new member company purchases a single share of common stock in Amicus, providing capital to the cooperative and solidifying commitment.
2. Collective Purchasing Aggregation: Members aggregate purchases within Amicus supplier programs, benefiting from collective economies-of-scale. The cooperative receives favorable terms, discounts, and dividends from manufacturer partners.
3. Purchasing Power Benefits: Collective purchasing exceeds $1B in buying power. The cooperative negotiates price discounts, cash dividends, favorable credit terms, and manufacturer supply agreements on behalf of members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Amicus Solar Cooperative is a 100% member-owned purchasing cooperative for independent solar installation companies. It aggregates collective purchasing power across 90+ member businesses to negotiate price discounts, cash dividends, favorable credit terms, and manufacturer supply agreements on solar equipment, while also providing best-practice sharing, federal policy advocacy, and B Corp certification support.

Product overview

Amicus Solar Cooperative is a single unified offering—a 100% member-owned purchasing cooperative for independent solar companies. The core product is the cooperative membership itself, which encompasses four interconnected services: (1) the Member Directory connecting consumers to 90+ vetted independent solar companies; (2) a Collective Purchasing Platform providing economies-of-scale pricing on equipment; (3) best practice sharing and collaboration across job functions (HR, IT, engineering, sales, etc.); and (4) federal and state policy advocacy. There are no standalone software products, SaaS modules, or APIs—the cooperative acts as a business alliance and purchasing group, not a technology platform vendor.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• B Corp Assessment Score: 135.4 (median is 50.9, minimum is 80)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• B Corp Climate CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmicus is a founding member of the B Corp Climate Collective, a group of B Corps committed to collective climate action and shared learning on environmental practices.
• SME Climate HubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with the SME Climate Hub in the effort to reach net zero emissions by 2050, supporting small and medium enterprises in climate commitments.
• Equal ExchangeminorOthersMentioned as an inspiration for the cooperative business model. Amicus learned about cooperative structures from organizations like Equal Exchange.
• NABCEPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNorth American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. Amicus prefers member companies with multiple NABCEP certified employees and recognizes NABCEP certification in membership requirements.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cooperative Energy Futures: Minneapolis-based solar cooperative developing community-owned solar projects. Operates a member-owned cooperative model in the solar space, comparable to Amicus's structure, though more focused on community solar project development than installer purchasing aggregation.
• Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA): National trade association for the US solar industry. Directly comparable to Amicus's industry advocacy and member-services role, though SEIA serves the entire industry whereas Amicus focuses specifically on independent installer members and adds collective purchasing.

Emerging players

• Solar United Neighbors: Nonprofit that organizes solar co-ops and educates homeowners about rooftop solar. Comparable in mission to Amicus's community-rooted solar values, but focuses on end-customer solar co-ops rather than installer purchasing aggregation.
• EnergySage: Online solar marketplace connecting homeowners with vetted installers. Comparable to Amicus's member directory as a lead-generation channel, but EnergySage is a marketplace platform rather than a member-owned cooperative.

Broad incumbents

• Sunrun: Large national residential solar installer and one of the biggest competitors to Amicus's independent installer members. A broad incumbent that competes with the same end customers that Amicus's members serve, though through a vertically integrated ownership model rather than a cooperative.
• Tesla Energy: National solar and storage provider with Tesla-branded panels and Powerwall. Competes directly with Amicus's installer members in residential and commercial solar, but at a vastly different scale and with a vertically integrated asset-light model.

Others

• GRID Alternatives: Nonprofit solar installer focused on low-income and underserved communities. Comparable values-driven mission to Amicus, though focuses on workforce deployment and access rather than installer purchasing power.
• Vote Solar: State-level solar advocacy nonprofit active in distributed solar policy. Comparable to Amicus's advocacy work in mission and policy focus, though Vote Solar is a 501(c)(3) advocacy org rather than a member-owned cooperative with purchasing power.
• SupplyHouse: Distributor of HVAC, plumbing, and solar equipment serving contractors. Comparable to Amicus's role as a procurement channel for installer members, though SupplyHouse is a general distributor rather than a member-owned solar cooperative.
• CED Greentech (City Electric Supply): Solar distribution arm of City Electric Supply serving commercial and residential installers. Comparable to Amicus's wholesale supply function for solar equipment, but operates as a traditional distributor rather than a cooperative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Amicus Solar Cooperative