Put Your Roof or Parking Lot to Work. Generate Income or Cut Costs. No Capital Required.
Plankton Energy develops, builds, and operates commercial solar for nonprofits, churches, houses of worship, and community organizations. Two structures available: generate lease income by hosting a community solar project, or reduce your electricity bill through a PPA. Neither requires upfront capital.
- No capital outlay. Structure is matched to what your organization actually needs, income, savings, or both.
- Tax-exempt status opens options most property owners don't have. Section 6417 Direct Pay lets qualifying nonprofits access the 30% federal ITC directly as a cash payment.
- A Site Lease turns your roof into a passive income source. Plankton handles everything. Your organization collects a fixed annual payment.
- Clients are always contracted with a Plankton entity. Plankton remains the O&M operator throughout the agreement.
A quick note before you submit: Plankton works on commercial-scale projects. Properties with rooftops under 10,000 sq ft or parking lots under 25,000 sq ft fall outside our current programs.
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Thank you for your interest.
We are not a good fit at this time. We work on commercial projects with a rooftop above 10,000 sq ft or a parking lot above 25,000 sq ft.
Commercial Solar on Nonprofit Properties. Operating and Producing Now.
305 kW Rooftop and Canopy Community Solar
340 kW Rooftop and Canopy Community Solar
88 kW Rooftop Community Solar
127 kW Rooftop Solar System
Two Ways Your Property Can Participate. Neither Requires Capital.
The right structure depends on whether your priority is generating new income or reducing an existing expense. Most nonprofits and houses of worship choose one of two paths. Plankton's portfolio assessment identifies which one fits your property, tax status, and situation.
Site Lease, Generate Annual Income
Plankton rents your roof or parking lot, installs the system, and operates it as a community solar project. Electricity goes to local households and businesses as subscribers. Your organization receives fixed annual lease payments for the full contract term with no capital outlay, no maintenance, and no operational involvement. St. Andrews Church, East Longmeadow Church, and the Boys and Girls Club in Maynard are all structured this way.
PPA, Reduce Your Electricity Bill
Plankton owns and operates the system on your property. Your organization purchases electricity from Plankton at a fixed rate below the local utility tariff. No capital, no maintenance, and predictable energy costs for the full contract term. The Salem Senior Village project is structured as a PPA, saving the facility more than $550,000 over the system's life.
Direct Purchase, Maximize Long-Term Return
The organization buys the system outright and captures the full economic benefit. Tax-exempt nonprofits and houses of worship can access the 30% federal ITC directly as a cash payment through Section 6417 Direct Pay, without needing a for-profit tax equity partner. Requires capital but maximizes lifetime return. Not the most common path but worth modeling if your organization has capital access.
Three Things Nonprofits Usually Ask Before They Agree to Talk.
"We Don't Have Capital for This"
Neither structure requires capital. Under a Site Lease, Plankton funds the entire project and your organization simply hosts the system on its roof or parking lot. Under a PPA, the same applies, Plankton finances, installs, and operates. Your organization starts generating income or reducing costs from day one without any upfront investment.
"We're Tax-Exempt So We Can't Use the ITC"
That changed under the Inflation Reduction Act. Section 6417 Direct Pay lets qualifying tax-exempt organizations receive the 30% federal Investment Tax Credit directly as a cash payment, without needing a for-profit third party to monetize it. This applies to 501(c)(3) nonprofits, churches, and other tax-exempt entities. Most still elect a PPA or Site Lease because it removes capital requirements entirely, but the option exists.
"What Happens If We Need the Roof Space Back?"
Site Lease agreements have defined terms and exit provisions. The portfolio assessment covers the full contract structure including what happens at end of term. Plankton has managed these agreements across MA, NJ, and NY for multiple organizations. The structure is designed to work around the property's needs, not against them.
What Nonprofit Solar Looks Like in Each Active Market
Tax-exempt organizations have access to state incentives that improve project economics for whoever owns the system, plus federal Direct Pay access that for-profit entities don't have. Here is what applies in each market where Plankton has active nonprofit projects.
Massachusetts
SMART 3.0 pays a fixed per-kWh incentive annually. Under a Site Lease, Plankton captures SMART revenue and uses it to support a competitive lease rate for the hosting organization. St. Andrews Church in Framingham and the East Longmeadow church are both active MA examples in the Plankton portfolio. Tax-exempt organizations can also access Direct Pay for the ITC in a Direct Purchase structure.
New Jersey
SuSI ADI pays around $90 per MWh for 15 years. Salem Senior Village is an active Plankton NJ project, a nonprofit senior care facility saving over $550,000 over the system's life through a PPA. Tax-exempt nonprofits in NJ can access Direct Pay for the 30% ITC. PSE&G interconnection coordination is a key project factor.
California
NEM 3.0 rewards organizations with significant daytime electricity load. Churches with weekday programming, community centers, and social service organizations that run daytime operations are the strongest CA candidates. Tax-exempt organizations can access Direct Pay for the 30% ITC without a third-party tax equity structure.
Rhode Island
REF grants reduce total project cost upfront. Under a PPA or Site Lease, that reduction flows through to the organization as a better rate or lease payment. Tax-exempt nonprofits can also access Direct Pay for the 30% ITC in a Direct Purchase structure. National Grid RI interconnection benefits from the same utility knowledge our team applies in Massachusetts.
New York
NY-Sun C&I pays upfront per watt. VDER credits provide ongoing value for exported generation. Tax-exempt nonprofits and houses of worship can access the 30% ITC as a direct cash payment through Section 6417. Plankton has active projects under Con Ed in the NY metro area and carries utility-specific knowledge across National Grid NY territory.
Plankton Is Always the Contracted Entity. Plankton Remains the O&M Operator for the Full Term.
Plankton develops, builds, and operates every system. The client is always contracted with a Plankton entity. When Plankton owns a project, ownership sits inside a Plankton investment fund with an approximate 7 to 10 year life. At that point, the asset will most likely move to another Plankton fund. What does not change: the contract is never flipped to an outside party, and Plankton remains the O&M operator regardless of which internal fund holds the asset. For a nonprofit or house of worship entering a long-term agreement, that matters. The organization remains contracted with a Plankton entity throughout.
Portfolio Assessment
Our development team reviews your property, roof situation, utility territory, and tax-exempt status. You receive a clear comparison of Site Lease, PPA, and Direct Purchase, showing what each structure produces in real numbers for your specific property. No capital commitment required to find out.
Engineering and Interconnection
Our team manages structural review, permitting, and utility interconnection. Installation is coordinated around your organization's schedule. For active community properties, that means working around services, programs, and property use.
Installation and Long-Term Operation
We build with our own EPC team and manage operations for the full contract term. Your organization collects lease income or electricity savings from day one, without managing any aspect of the system.
30% Federal ITC, Active Through December 31, 2027
The Investment Tax Credit under Section 48E is preserved for projects placed in service by December 31, 2027. Tax-exempt nonprofits, churches, and houses of worship can access it directly as a cash payment through Section 6417 Direct Pay, no for-profit tax equity structure required. The portfolio assessment will identify which structure fits your organization and where your project stands relative to that deadline.
Request Portfolio Assessment