Each organization and business has a unique energy and financial fingerprint that requires a specific set of solutions. Most energy service providers fit you into their programs but RC Cubed provides access to a panoply of financial and development solutions that are adjusted to fit your organizational needs. Don't get a one-size-fits-all solution for your unique needs!
MAssachusetts Smart Program
We have included a special section for Massachusetts since the new SMART program development by the state's Department of Energy Resources (DOER). SMART is highly effective in helping ratepayers experience both profit and savings from investing in solar and renewable energy. Click on the links below to view an offer customized to your needs.
Non-Profits
RC Cubed has been recognized by the Department of Energy for our work in helping nonprofits save money through energy efficiency and solar generation. Nonprofits including schools, hospitals, churches, in addition to fraternity and service organizations have benefited through our process and financial creativity.
Nonprofits who get Cubed through RC Cubed will receive a complete energy analysis and plan together with the financing required to obtain energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions that will help them save money today and in the future. At RC Cubed, we are passionate about helping you fund your mission through a sustainable energy strategy.
Nonprofits who get Cubed through RC Cubed will receive a complete energy analysis and plan together with the financing required to obtain energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions that will help them save money today and in the future. At RC Cubed, we are passionate about helping you fund your mission through a sustainable energy strategy.
HOme OWNERS and Condo Owners Associations
RC Cubed has developed a unique process of assisting HOA and COA structured organizations to obtain energy savings. We love working to educate and inspire boards to act on energy solutions that lower association fees, save members money, and even provide funding for roofing and other necessary infrastructure upgrades as part of an overarching energy efficiency and solar generation strategy.
We start by working with your solar committee to understand your requirements and we save you both time and money by providing multiple pre-vetted options for both the finance and construction of your solutions. With RC Cubed, you can assure your members that you are getting competitive access to the very best options for your organization.
We start by working with your solar committee to understand your requirements and we save you both time and money by providing multiple pre-vetted options for both the finance and construction of your solutions. With RC Cubed, you can assure your members that you are getting competitive access to the very best options for your organization.
Municipalities and Educational Institutions
Traditional Requests for Proposals (RFP's) and other strategies for obtaining energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions can be time consuming for all parties and they often result in more and not less expense for the ratepayer.
RC Cubed has developed a system for de-coupling finance and development solutions for municipalities and schools by running a simultaneous competitive bid process after RC Cubed has completed an energy study and analysis and has worked with your organization to determine the opportunities and strategies that make the most sense.
Our simple process will save you both time and money and we will work to structure it in a way that satisfies both state and local requirements for competitive procurement. Don't consider another option until you have explored why we believe we will save you an additional 5 to 15% over other RFP solutions.
We also have other financially profitable offers in key regions that do not require traditional RFP's to benefit you.
RC Cubed has developed a system for de-coupling finance and development solutions for municipalities and schools by running a simultaneous competitive bid process after RC Cubed has completed an energy study and analysis and has worked with your organization to determine the opportunities and strategies that make the most sense.
Our simple process will save you both time and money and we will work to structure it in a way that satisfies both state and local requirements for competitive procurement. Don't consider another option until you have explored why we believe we will save you an additional 5 to 15% over other RFP solutions.
We also have other financially profitable offers in key regions that do not require traditional RFP's to benefit you.
Businesses
Energy costs are key drivers of business profitability, but are easy to ignore or temporarily fix with band-aids like alternative supplier contracts which offer temporary discounts on energy.
What if you could control your energy future by making decisions now that would guarantee generations of savings to your business? What if you could leverage your annual tax bill into available cash to purchase energy solutions that pay you back for years to come? What if your roof or parking area could be transformed from an expense to an asset producing permanent value for your business? What if you no longer had to worry about the price of energy from the local utility, but had the assurance that neither inflation or disaster could slow you down?
Some or all of these can be obtained through an energy efficiency and renewable energy strategy. Get Cubed and let RC Cubed propose and manage solutions that can revolutionize your business strategy, making you sustainable even in economic hard times. We provide access to the right solutions for finance, development, and the long-term management of your energy strategy.
What if you could control your energy future by making decisions now that would guarantee generations of savings to your business? What if you could leverage your annual tax bill into available cash to purchase energy solutions that pay you back for years to come? What if your roof or parking area could be transformed from an expense to an asset producing permanent value for your business? What if you no longer had to worry about the price of energy from the local utility, but had the assurance that neither inflation or disaster could slow you down?
Some or all of these can be obtained through an energy efficiency and renewable energy strategy. Get Cubed and let RC Cubed propose and manage solutions that can revolutionize your business strategy, making you sustainable even in economic hard times. We provide access to the right solutions for finance, development, and the long-term management of your energy strategy.
Farms and Landowners
Farming has always been at the heart of sustainability. In an internationally competitive environment we need to support local producers even more than ever before! RC Cubed is passionate about designing solutions that preserve traditional farmland for production while supplying the clean energy economy.
Whether we utilize your farm roofing, provide a canopy over a feedlot, fund a solar greenhouse style array, or combine rotational grazing pastures with solar tracking systems, we know and love farming and can provide solutions that bring generations of income to your farm.
Our land leases and strategic ownership options for farms take advantage of available incentives, remote net metering programs in key regions, and farm grants to maximize the value for your farm. You already provide the nation with produce, and agricultural products, why not add energy and bring in a year-round harvest?
Whether we utilize your farm roofing, provide a canopy over a feedlot, fund a solar greenhouse style array, or combine rotational grazing pastures with solar tracking systems, we know and love farming and can provide solutions that bring generations of income to your farm.
Our land leases and strategic ownership options for farms take advantage of available incentives, remote net metering programs in key regions, and farm grants to maximize the value for your farm. You already provide the nation with produce, and agricultural products, why not add energy and bring in a year-round harvest?
Financial Options CATALOG
Financial options are generally broken into three categories - Direct ownership options, Near Term Ownership Options (5-10 years), and Energy Service Agreements (always owned by others).
Direct ownership options give the greatest long term benefits to the ratepayer, but are generally only best for those organizations that can take advantage of tax incentive options like the Investment Tax Credit. Direct ownership options include the following:
Near term ownership options offer ownership after a short period usually ranging from 5 -10 years. When a ratepayer is not able to take advantage of available tax credits, these finance methods can provide savings. They require that a Tax Equity Investor (generally a bank or fund) take initial ownership of the array by funding it and using the tax credits. In most cases, the Tax Equity Investor will then lease the solar asset back to the ratepayer at a discounte rate in return for the tax credits. Many businesses choose to use these options and sometimes municipalities, nonprofits, and homeowners associations will use these options through the creation of a special purpose vehicle designed for use with non-taxable entities. Near term ownership options include:
Energy Service Agreements are agreements that may never result in ratepayer ownership but provide long term certainty on savings and require the financier to maintain and ensure that the system is always operating and benefiting the ratepayer. Energy service agreements include:
When we "Cube" an organization, each energy generation system or efficiency option together with its financial structure is tailored to your needs. Each finance option has distinct advantages depending on the organization structure and financial position of the ratepayer. In the end, our commitment to the ratepayer stands: "To deliver guaranteed ratepayer savings."
Direct ownership options give the greatest long term benefits to the ratepayer, but are generally only best for those organizations that can take advantage of tax incentive options like the Investment Tax Credit. Direct ownership options include the following:
- Cash Purchases
- Loans - A variety of loans running from 5 -20 year terms may be available depending on location, credit, and the security of the energy savings generated by the solar array. Generally loan options require either securitization by the business income, real property or a strong debt to savings ratio on the array of 1.3 times the finance costs plus maintenance and insurance.
- Capital Leases - Capital leases are similar to loans and allow a bit different taxation and depreciation structure than a loan and generally operate for a shorter period of time.
Near term ownership options offer ownership after a short period usually ranging from 5 -10 years. When a ratepayer is not able to take advantage of available tax credits, these finance methods can provide savings. They require that a Tax Equity Investor (generally a bank or fund) take initial ownership of the array by funding it and using the tax credits. In most cases, the Tax Equity Investor will then lease the solar asset back to the ratepayer at a discounte rate in return for the tax credits. Many businesses choose to use these options and sometimes municipalities, nonprofits, and homeowners associations will use these options through the creation of a special purpose vehicle designed for use with non-taxable entities. Near term ownership options include:
- Operating Leases - An operating lease is a 5-10 year lease in which the financier (the Lessor) owns and leases the system back to the ratepayer (the Lessee). Generally, the Lessor will take tax benefits and will contribute a portion of those back to the lessee in the form a of a discounted payment structure. At the end of the lease period, the lessee generally has the option to buy the system at a percentage of original value (often between 15% and 50%). Operating leases can only be transacted between a financier and a taxable entity.
- Prepaid Leases and Power Purchase Agreements - A prepaid lease or prepaid power purchase agreement combines an upfront cash contribution from the ratepayer with a tax equity contribution from the financier. In this structure the ownership of the system will "flip" to the ratepayer after an initial ownership period of 5-7 years where the tax equity financier is able to utilize the available credits. Prepaid leases and Power Purchase Agreements can be transacted between financiers and taxable and non taxable entities.
- Sale Lease Back - A sale lease back is similar to an operating lease, but adds a taxable special purpose LLC which operates as a holding company standing between a financier and a non taxable entity like a nonprofit or municipality allowing the advantages of an operating lease to be utilized.
Energy Service Agreements are agreements that may never result in ratepayer ownership but provide long term certainty on savings and require the financier to maintain and ensure that the system is always operating and benefiting the ratepayer. Energy service agreements include:
- Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) - Power purchase agreements are transactions in which a financier and/or developer offers to construct, maintain, and manage an energy system on the ratepayers property (roof, parking lot, empty land) at no initial cost to the ratepayer and the ratepayer agrees to purchase the energy or energy credits from the energy system (solar, bio-gen, etc.) at a discounted rate from available utility power. Most PPA terms run for 20 -30 years or more.
- Remote Net Metering Credit Agreements (RNMCA) - A RNMCA agreement is similar to a PPA but takes place when the energy system is built on a property not owned by the ratepayer and the ratepayer is simply agreeing to buy the discounted credits from the array to offset their own usage at their own sites. Similar terms apply.
- Long Term Energy Leases - A long term energy lease is an agreement in which a financier agrees to finance and own energy efficiency and/or energy generating equipment on the ratepayers property in return for a fixed monthly or annual payment. In this model the maintenance of the systems financed may either fall to the Lessor or to the Lessee depending on the structure and terms.
- Guaranteed Energy Service Contracts - These contracts are becoming more attractive to both organizations and energy service providers. In return for a guaranteed level of annualized savings to the ratepayer, an energy services company is authorized to use a variety of strategies to finance and develop energy solutions on behalf of the ratepayer. The systems are owned by the energy service provider, but that provider is liable to produce a guaranteed level of savings for the ratepayer over time. The energy services provider steps in as the energy manager for your organization and one overarching contract governs solutions and savings.
When we "Cube" an organization, each energy generation system or efficiency option together with its financial structure is tailored to your needs. Each finance option has distinct advantages depending on the organization structure and financial position of the ratepayer. In the end, our commitment to the ratepayer stands: "To deliver guaranteed ratepayer savings."
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A Trusted PartnerOur process creates a trustworthy environment for healthy transactions. This allows for transparent interaction of the three critical project stakeholders, balancing the interests of each and ensuring a win/win outcome for all.
Contractors provide design and construction and guarantee production.
Investors provide critical due diligence and guarantee financing at a rate that achieves savings for the ratepayer.
Ratepayers provide a site to optimize and commit to fulfill the financing terms as the guarantees for production and savings are met.
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