For a couple of years, Mosaic has been helping non-profit groups obtain funding for solar PV installations through its crowd funding model.
Now, Mosaic has begun offering investments to residents of California and New York as well as accredited investors from around the country via its online investment portal.
Mosaic’s first investment offerings are in solar projects on affordable housing apartments for low-income residents in California and offer a 4.5 percent annual return, net of servicing fees, with terms of approximately nine years.
To date, $1.1 million has been invested through Mosaic by more than 400 investors to finance twelve rooftop solar power plants in California, New Jersey, Arizona and the Navajo Nation. These projects were funded through a unique financing model, known as crowd funding, which is essentially a democratization of power purchase agreements. Investors interested in the non-profit contribute small amounts of money toward the solar project. While the investors may not get much return on their investment, they do get to share tax advantages, and they are donating toward a cause they care about.
Mosaic is now taking crowd funding to the next level and offering a set interest rate. Interested parties can view projects via Mosaic’s online portal and invest as little as $25.00.
The financing scheme has been approved in California and New York and with accredited investors. Mosaic is hopeful the SEC will adopt rules implementing the crowd funding provisions of the JOBS Act, which would permit crowd funding nationwide.
Of $600,000 in total investment opportunities yesterday, Mosaic had raised over $163,000 by late afternoon.