Amicus Solar Cooperative
Colorado, United States
November 2015
Solar panel installation
Service with Significant Environmental Footprint
United States
Amicus Solar Cooperative was founded in 2011 with the mission to support independent solar energy businesses working to create a market solution to climate change. Initially, the primary function of the purchasing cooperative was to aggregate the buying power of the member companies to attain better pricing on equipment. They chose the cooperative model for its egalitarian structure, whereby members own the company, each have one vote, and share equally in the profit. This model is well established in other industries, but is very unique to the solar world. While the initial concept was narrow in scope, the cooperative has grown into a true community of like-minded solar energy companies, who share ideas, best practices, and business opportunities. The people involved have formed a trusted support network where they can seek advice on their business problems, and not feel so alone in navigating the challenges of the very dynamic solar industry. Amicus Solar Cooperative incorporates the interests of many stakeholders: members, suppliers, and customers and employees of the member companies when they make decisions. They believe that this is truly a better way to do business, and it is aligned with cooperative values as well.
Overall B Impact Score
Governance 19.8
Governance evaluates a company's overall mission, engagement around its social/environmental impact, ethics, and transparency. This section also evaluates the ability of a company to protect their mission and formally consider stakeholders in decision making through their corporate structure (e.g. benefit corporation) or corporate governing documents.
What is this? A company with an Impact Business Model is intentionally designed to create a specific positive outcome for one of its stakeholders - such as workers, community, environment, or customers.
Governance 19.8
Governance evaluates a company's overall mission, engagement around its social/environmental impact, ethics, and transparency. This section also evaluates the ability of a company to protect their mission and formally consider stakeholders in decision making through their corporate structure (e.g. benefit corporation) or corporate governing documents.
What is this? A company with an Impact Business Model is intentionally designed to create a specific positive outcome for one of its stakeholders - such as workers, community, environment, or customers.
Workers 23.0
Workers evaluates a company’s contributions to its employees’ financial security, health & safety, wellness, career development, and engagement & satisfaction. In addition, this section recognizes business models designed to benefit workers, such as companies that are at least 40% owned by non-executive employees and those that have workforce development programs to support individuals with barriers to employment.
Community 22.6
Community evaluates a company’s engagement with and impact on the communities in which it operates, hires from, and sources from. Topics include diversity, equity & inclusion, economic impact, civic engagement, charitable giving, and supply chain management. In addition, this section recognizes business models that are designed to address specific community-oriented problems, such as poverty alleviation through fair trade sourcing or distribution via microenterprises, producer cooperative models, locally focused economic development, and formal charitable giving commitments.
Environment 55.0
Environment evaluates a company’s overall environmental management practices as well as its impact on the air, climate, water, land, and biodiversity. This includes the direct impact of a company’s operations and, when applicable its supply chain and distribution channels. This section also recognizes companies with environmentally innovative production processes and those that sell products or services that have a positive environmental impact. Some examples might include products and services that create renewable energy, reduce consumption or waste, conserve land or wildlife, provide less toxic alternatives to the market, or educate people about environmental problems.
What is this? A company with an Impact Business Model is intentionally designed to create a specific positive outcome for one of its stakeholders - such as workers, community, environment, or customers.
Customers 4.7
Customers evaluates a company’s stewardship of its customers through the quality of its products and services, ethical marketing, data privacy and security, and feedback channels. In addition, this section recognizes products or services that are designed to address a particular social problem for or through its customers, such as health or educational products, arts & media products, serving underserved customers/clients, and services that improve the social impact of other businesses or organizations.