[fvplayer src=”https://vimeo.com/293361936″ loop=”true” splash=”https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/730201526_1280x695.jpg?r=pad” caption=”Trine I Energy Transition Startups @StartupTV”]
- Trine is Swedish crowdfunding platform with focus on off-grid solar sector.
- Over 10 million euros have been invested.
- More than a 10% of that having been repaid to crowd investors.
Globally, 1.2 billion people lack access to electricity, and 2.7 billion people rely on dirty fuels such as kerosene or diesel. These cause harmful indoor air pollution and fumes that are equivalent to smoking 2 packs of cigarettes per day.
Access to clean and reliable energy can change lives. It could improve people’s health, give them more time to work and study and allow them to save money.
The sun produces enough energy in an hour to provide enough global energy for an entire year. Trine aims to take advantage of this unlimited energy source by turning solar energy into a product that everyone can invest in.
Trine is Changing How Solar is Funded
Founded in 2015 in Gothenburg, Sweden, Trine is one of the biggest crowd investment in solar energy. It allows everyday people to invest in distributed solar energy in emerging markets. It further offers a great investment opportunity that mixes social and environmental impact with financial return.
Trine aims to close the gap between private capital in developed countries and solar companies in emerging markets. They offer a novel alternative solution to financing solar energy.
The Problem with the Current Model
Solar energy is already cheaper and more profitable than dirty energy sources. However, high interest rates on loans and high upfront costs of clean energy solutions hinders mass distribution. This prevents low-income people who do not have access to clean energy to even consider solar energy a viable option.
Trine’s Impact
Trine has already invested over 10 million euros in solar energy, with nearly a million of that having been repaid to crowd investors. They are currently focusing their audience on retail investors in Europe and solar distributors in emerging markets.
If Trine can access 15% of its target demographic, it has the potential to deliver clean energy to 48 million people who currently rely on expensive and dangerous dirty energy sources. This could help avoid 3.7 million tons of CO2 emissions annually by the year 2026. But most importantly, Trine gives disadvantaged people an access to solar power while providing others with an investment opportunity that can truly change the world.