Sustainability and Impact at SolarShare

Founded in 2010, SolarShare was created to give Ontarians the opportunity to invest in and benefit from the transition to a low-carbon economy. Today, SolarShare owns and operates 51 solar projects representing 15.08 MW DC of installed solar capacity across Ontario. More than 2,000 members have invested over $100 million in Solar Bonds, earning more than $19 million in interest while helping finance community-owned renewable energy.

 

As sustainable finance continues to evolve in Canada and internationally, SolarShare is building on more than fifteen years of community renewable-energy investment to strengthen how we measure and report our impact. Our ambition is to connect community investment with credible sustainable-finance standards and transparent environmental reporting.

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SolarShare believes environmental claims should be supported by clear evidence. Rather than relying on broad statements about the benefits of renewable energy, we are working to report the measurable results of our solar portfolio using actual generation data, transparent calculations and credible external sources. 

 

Where we translate electricity generation into estimated environmental outcomes, we show the methodology and assumptions behind those estimates so members and investors can understand how the figures were derived. 

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The Math
Behind the Metrics

  • Jul 14, 2021
    Annual GHG emissions avoided tCO₂e

    SolarShare estimates annual greenhouse gas emissions avoided by multiplying the electricity generated by our solar portfolio by Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Ontario electricity emissions factor for the same reporting year. In 2025, SolarShare generated 16,541 MWh of renewable electricity. Using ECCC’s 2025 Ontario factor of 0.038 tCO₂e per MWh, this corresponds to approximately 629 tonnes of CO₂e avoided.

  • Jul 14, 2021
    Household Equivalent

    Using the Ontario Energy Board’s empirical three-year average of 746 kWh/month per residential customer, a typical Ontario residential customer uses about 8.952 MWh/year. The OEB derived that figure from Ontario distributor data and reports the province-wide three-year average as 746 kWh/month. Since SolarShare generated 16,541 MWh in 2025, the calculation is

    16,541 MWh ÷ 8.952 MWh per household per year = 1,847.6 households

    SolarShare’s 2025 generation was equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 1,848 Ontario homes.

  • Jul 14, 2021
    No On-Site Air Pollution

    Natural Resources Canada says solar PV is “a safe and reliable source of solar electricity that produces no on-site pollution or emissions.” (source) 

    Government of Ontario says the province’s shift away from coal-fired electricity helped decrease GHG emissions, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and mercury emissions. (source) 

Building Toward Recognized Sustainablity Standards 

SolarShare is committed to transparency, clear methodology and evidence-based environmental claims. We are continuing to strengthen the standards, methodologies and disclosures that support our sustainable-finance activities, while working toward alignment with recognized and evolving sustainable-finance guidance.