Posts

Showing posts from December, 2019

The Ultimate Guide to Socially Responsible Investing

Image
Seeking a healthy financial return and bringing about positive social change, long thought to be mutually exclusive, can be accomplished through socially responsible investing. But how do you do it? How do you vet companies to see if they actually promote environmental stewardship (and not just use empty jargon) while also provide strong returns? Scroll down to learn more about socially responsible investing. Why Fossil Fuel Companies Aren't a Type of Socially Responsible Investing Some companies have a vested interest in the world getting worse. Oil companies top that list, although not for reasons you would expect. As global investment moves away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy (especially solar), oil companies are turning to plastic production as the cornerstone of their financial future. But as governments are cracking down on plastic garbage that clogs landfills and large segments of the Pacific Ocean, even this approach looks unsure.  “Oi

How to Become an Investor in Solar Energy Right Now

Image
Many consider climate change to be the defining existential threat to Earth in the 21st century. With emissions continuing to rise, the battle is being lost to prevent the increase of the global average temperature to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Rising above this level will trigger all sorts of cataclysmic environmental results. Fighting climate change will require the motivation of billions and investments of trillions of dollars. But what if the need to move to clean energy is also one of the best investment opportunities available now? It turns out it is.Nearly three-fourths of all investors are interested in sustainable investments. According to the Principles for Responsible Investment, the global mobilization to fight climate change among corporations, investors, and governments will create incredible investment opportunities on clean energy in the push to transition to a low-carbon world. Investors are getting in the game. They are involved in such efforts a

How to Invest in Renewable Energy: From Investment Funds to Crowdsourcing

In a previous blog post, we discussed how to invest in solar energy projects. In this post, we will discuss how to invest in renewable energy more broadly. This topic typically includes choosing multi-billion-dollar investment portfolios that are allocating major funds for renewable energy. But you don't have to go big or go home. Thousands of crowdfunded projects are creating new ways to invest in renewable energy. How to Invest in Renewable Energy with Investment Funds Private equity funds are in the middle of a historical shifting of funds from fossil fuel energy to wind, solar, and other renewable energy assets. Industry insiders say that numerous trends have sparked fund sponsor's interest in the sector. First, the asset class has matured to the point that the technology behind clean energy (in the form of wind turbines and solar panels) is widely proven. Second, federal and state climate policies have mandated the de-carbonization of the energy sector. Third

The Ultimate Off-Grid Tiny House Guide

Image
Want to know how to get started with an off-grid tiny house? This ultimate guide introduces you to the concept, shares upsides and downsides to this kind of living, provides information on the best sorts of appliances for an off-grid tiny house (including ovens, cookers, coolers, lights, and phone chargers) and profiles of those who live in a off-grid tiny house. Off-Grid Tiny House: Upsides and Downsides An off-grid tiny home brings together two lifestyle choices that are practically soul mates. The tiny-home movement advocates living simply in small houses, generally less than 400 square feet. It encourages frugality, shared community experiences, and rejecting the worst of consumerism. This philosophy goes great with off-grid living, since these houses have low energy demands and many of them come with roof-mounted solar panels pre-installed. An off-grid tiny home is likely the easiest entry point into off grid living. But there are challenges that come with acc

The Solar Microgrid: A Clean, Decentralized Solution to Our Vulnerable Energy Grid

Image
In a recent blog series, GoSun has been following the October 2019 power outage in California, suggesting alternative ways to keep running your refrigeration and lightingwithout electricity, namely using solar-powered accessories that don't rely on grid energy. In this post, we will look at the meta-idea behind these inventions, namely that most of the problems that come from modern refrigeration, cooking, and lighting come from reliance on our electrical grid. All of these problems can be solved by the same solution: switching over to the microgrid. What is a microgrid? It is a small, localized group of electricity sources and sinks that usually operates with the centralized grid (mostly to charge batteries) but can disconnect and operate anonymously when necessary. Here's an example. Let's say you use the GoSun Chill, a solar cooler that doesn't need ice. The Chill includes a Powerbank battery that you can charge with the grid. When the power goes out,