Park some of your rainy-day fund where it can help power community-owned solar energy. By investing $100 to $1,000 you can become a member of People Power Solar Cooperative, which creates cooperatively owned solar energy projects on people’s rooftops.
The first community solar project got up and running in March 2019, with solar panels installed on the house of ‘No Coal in Oakland’ activist, lora jo foo, piloting a new model for community-owned energy in California.
The second project is now in development by a group of neighbors in the Ingleside neighborhood of San Francisco.
Member-owners of the cooperative invest $100 to $1000 to provide capital for these projects. Members of the project repay the investment through their electricity bills.
People Power Solar Cooperative makes it clear that any investment involves some risk, but their goal is to pay member-owners 1 – 3 % a year, similar to savings accounts. Member-owners can withdraw at any time.
More information here.