Evaluating only SolarShare’s profile at its peak — without knowing the outcome — the model ranked Unit economics as the #1 likely cause. Documented cause: Regulation.
Key Events Timeline
FOUNDING
Michael Brigham co-founded SolarShare as Ontario's first renewable energy co-op under the province's Feed-In Tariff program.
FUNDING
Raised over CAD $20M from 1,500+ community bond investors; operated 10 solar installations across Ontario rooftops.
REGULATORY ACTION
Ontario Premier Doug Ford cancelled the FIT program, eliminating all new contract opportunities for SolarShare's pipeline.
SHUTDOWN
SolarShare voted to dissolve after existing FIT contracts expired and no new revenue pipeline could be developed.
Full Analysis
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Documented cause
SolarShare, a Toronto-based solar energy cooperative that raised over CAD $20M from community investors to build Ontario solar projects under the Feed-In Tariff program, began winding down in 2022 after the Ford government's cancellation of Ontario's FIT program in 2018 eliminated the guaranteed revenue contracts underpinning its entire business model. Without new project pipeline, the co-op could not generate returns to members and voted to dissolve.
Lesson
“Cleantech built entirely on government feed-in tariffs has a binary risk: policy continuity is a single point of failure.”