Episode 798: The Hidden Goldmine in Commercial Solar—And How to Tap Into It; with Claire Broido Johnson
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Episode Description
There are billions of square feet of commercial rooftops in the U.S. that should have solar—but don’t. Why? Because financing these projects has been nearly impossible… until now. For years, the thousands of unrated businesses, nonprofits, and local institutions that want to go solar are stymied by one primary roadblock - financing. One developer is finally unlocking commercial solar for the long tail of the market, and we’re here to share exactly how.
Claire Broido Johnson (Sunrock DG) and Josh Goldberg (Sunstone Credit) have “cracked the code on commercial solar”, giving small businesses and nonprofits access to solar PPAs and loans through an empowered network of hundreds of local solar businesses.
Today we explore:
🔹 Why most commercial solar deals fail—and how to fix it
🔹 How Sunstone Credit built a financing model banks actually trust
🔹 Why permitting & local regulations are still the biggest hurdles
🔹 How solar EPCs can unlock more deals with the right financial tools
The future of C&I solar is here—and it’s not just for Walmart & Target anymore.
🚀 If you’re an installer, developer, or solar entrepreneur, this episode is packed with insights you can’t afford to miss.
RESOURCES:
Connect with Josh Goldberg:
Connect with Claire Broido Johnson:
Check out Sunstone Credit:
Check out Sunrock Distributed Generation:
Noteworthy Quotes:
"Banks don’t like unrated businesses—but we’ve cracked the code for commercial solar lending." – Josh Goldberg
"Commercial solar is here. It’s cost-effective, it’s scalable, and it’s ready to explode." – Claire Broido Johnson
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Nico Johnson
Entrepreneur & Podcaster
In my 20 year career, I've worked with dozens of entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and professionals in transition to clarify their mission, set or stretch their goals, and work through the barriers to their growth.
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