Who We Are
Solar Stewards is an American social enterprise focused on implementing equitable infrastructure. We know a market economy can exist where sustainability and equity are intertwined, and where access and investment showcase this commitment. Based in the US, we work domestically and internationally to ensure economic inclusion within renewable energy and infrastructure deployment.
Our Solution: The Solar Stewards Marketplace
The Marketplace hosts two distinct, yet complementary, products:
Social Renewable Energy Credits (Social RECs®): This is our core financial mechanism. We partner with community serving renewable energy organizations, and when they generate Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), we sell these credits to corporate buyers at a premium price, thereby generating the Social Renewable Energy Credit (Social RECs®). Unlike traditional RECs, Social RECs® advance both environmental and social goals. Crucially, 100% of Social REC® revenue is dedicated to Community Partners for social impact initiatives, guaranteeing that historically excluded communities become genuine economic participants in infrastructure deployment. We currently have $1 million in community benefits committed!
CommunityPACT: This comprehensive tool helps all stakeholders (developers, communities, and governments) effectively Plan, Act, Commit to, and Track Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs). It provides end-to-end services, including connecting communities with vetted engagement professionals, standardized process guidance, amongst others to ensure accountability and project success.
1. PLAN: Project Context & Demographics
The platform utilizes the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) to integrate demographic data, helping identify disadvantaged and underserved communities relevant to the project. This foundational data informs the entire benefit selection process.
2. ACT: Drafting the Agreement
Stakeholder Identification: The tool allows for the clear identification of all engaging parties (e.g., local businesses, school districts).
Benefit Selection: Users choose from a database of benefit categories (e.g., Housing Improvements, Education, Workforce Development) or create custom benefits.
Goal Setting: For each benefit, specific goals and timelines (both broad and sub-goals) must be inputted. Example: Midflare's renewable energy experience for education.
AI-Assisted Drafting: The platform uses a RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) AI model to generate a draft agreement based on the inputted data. Note: This draft supplements, but does not replace, local community facilitation and legal review.
3. COMMIT: Upload & Configure
Once the draft CBA is legally approved and signed by all parties, the finalized document is uploaded to the monitoring dashboard. The system then configures specific commitments based on its AI database.
4. TRACK: Monitoring & Reporting
The platform automates the tracking of benefit adherence.
Progress Reports: Generated reports are emailed directly to all stakeholders, breaking down key performance indicators and progress toward goals.
Qualitative & Quantitative Data: The system values narrative successes (testimonials, images) alongside quantifiable metrics, recognizing that community feedback is as vital as data points.