Clean Tech: SRI Conference Gets A Lesson In "Crowdfunding" For Renewable Energy Projects

Solar Mosaic, CalCEF CEOs and Other Experts Share Cutting Edge Clean Tech Strategies with Responsible Investors: Crowdsourcing, Green Bonds, PACE Financing, MLPs, and REITs in the Spotlight

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Aug. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Organizers of the 24th Annual SRI Conference are offering a new resource and a fresh take on clean tech investing. A new session moderated by Dan Adler, managing director of the Clean Energy Angel Fund and CalCEF, and including Dan Rosen, CEO, Solar Mosaic, will explore the clean tech landscape and the newest products and strategies for sustainable and responsible investors. "Investing in Clean Tech: Expanding Opportunities for ESG/SRI Investors," will focus on recent developments in crowdsourcing, green bonds, clean energy victory bonds, PACE financing, MLPs, and REIT eligibility.

First Affirmative President Steve Schueth, producer of The SRI Conference, said: "These clean tech experts are on the cutting edge of investment and financing opportunities available to responsible investors and investment professionals. Dan Rosen from Solar Mosaic will discuss how they are utilizing crowdsourcing or "crowdfunding" in clean-tech deployment opportunities. Solar Mosaic has received a lot of attention recently for raising $6 million of venture capital, including a $2 million grant from the Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative, to build an online platform that supports funding of solar projects."

Solar Mosaic CEO, Dan Rosen, said: "Crowdfunding allows early-stage companies, or projects to "crowd in" finance from a lot of small sources over the Internet (you could consider it democratizing finance, in a way). We have seen the power of crowdfunding in local community solar projects here at Mosaic. In one year, we received $350,000 to finance five solar power plants through our zero-interest investment model, and the power of the crowd to facilitate positive local change is increasingly visible. As individuals, we can finally see the impact of our contributions, and together we can help change the world."

Dan Adler, managing director of CalCEF and president, CalCEF Ventures, will moderate the clean tech session at the SRI Conference. In addition, other leading experts on the clean tech panel will include: Matt Ferguson, principal, Reznick Group; Jeff Eckel, president and CEO, Hannon Armstrong; and Nancy Pfund, managing partner, DBL Investors, and board member of Primus Power, SolarCity, Solaria, Eco­logic, Pow­er­Genix, and Bright­Source Energy. This session was organized by Doug Arent, Executive Director of the Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a long-time member of the conference Agenda Committee.

ABOUT THE GROUPS

The CalCEF group (http://www.calcefangelfund.com/) is a nexus for entrepreneurs, investors, energy companies, industry, government, and academia engaged in development and advancement of clean energy. CalCEF is a family of non-profit organizations working together to accelerate the movement of clean energy technologies along the continuum from innovation to infrastructure using tools from finance, public policy and technological innovation.

Solar Mosaic (https://joinmosaic.com/) connects investors to high quality solar projects. Our mission is to open up clean energy investing and fundamentally change the way energy is financed. The fundamentals of solar makes it an attractive component of a diversified investment portfolio: reliable technology, predictable energy output, and stable cash flows. Every Mosaic project is carefully vetted and structured to minimize risk while maximizing benefits to investors and to the planet. Thousands of people from across the United States have invested millions of dollars to finance solar projects through Mosaic's online marketplace.

CohnReznick is a nationwide network of accounting, tax and business advisory services, with offices from Boston to Los Angeles (http://www.cohnreznick.com). Reznick Group has acquired technical consulting firm Think Energy, Inc., enabling the firm to provide full project life-cycle advisory services to clean technology developers, investors and utilities.

Hannon Armstrong (http://www.hannonarmstrong.com) is a specialty finance company that provides debt and equity financing for sustainable infrastructure projects that increase energy efficiency, provide cleaner energy sources, positively impact the environment or make more efficient use of natural resources. Formed more than 30 years ago, Hannon Armstrong has provided or arranged over $4.0 billion of financing in more than 450 sustainable infrastructure transactions since 2000. Hannon Armstrong is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "HASI".

DBL Investors (http://www.dblinvestors.com/) uses venture capital to accelerate innovation in a way that positively impacts an organization's social ecosystem as well as its financial success. DBL believes that positive social change and a healthy financial performance are inherently connected. The firm invests in and helps nurture outstanding entrepreneurs and companies in Cleantech, Information Technology, Health Care, and Sustainability-Oriented Products and Services.

About The SRI Conference

The 24th annual SRI Conference (http://www.SRIconference.com), the leading North American forum for investors and investment professionals involved in sustainable, responsible, impact (SRI) investing, will be October 28-30, 2013 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado (http://www.broadmoor.com/). For more information about the conference or about supporting the conference as a sponsor, please contact Krystala Kalil, at 888-774-2663 or [email protected].

About First Affirmative Financial Network

First Affirmative Financial Network, LLC (http://www.firstaffirmative.com) is an independent Registered Investment Advisor (SEC File #801-56587) offering investment consulting and asset management services through a nationwide network of investment professionals who specialize in serving socially conscious investors. First Affirmative produces The SRI Conference (http://www.SRIconference.com). Mention of specific companies or securities in this news release should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell that security. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

SOURCE First Affirmative Financial Network, Colorado Springs