Money can feel complicated. Most of us didn’t grow up learning how investing works. No one taught us what interest rates mean or how to actually grow our money. So it makes sense if some of this stuff feels complex.

And when people start throwing around terms like “investment thesis”, “principal,” or “interest return,” it’s easy to feel like you missed the memo.

But that's already changing. Today, you don’t need a finance degree to be an everyday investor. You can help fund vetted renewable energy projects across the U.S., including solar panels on grocery stores, EV chargers on highways, and heat pumps in homes.  Historically, some projects even offered up to 10% annual returns starting with an initial investment from as little as $10.

If you’ve ever thought, “I’d like to invest in something that aligns with my values”, Climatize could be your starting point.

Before You Start Impact Investing

Solar is now the fastest-growing source of new electricity in the United States. In March 2025, fossil fuel accounted for less than 50% of the U.S. electricity mix while solar power increased a staggering 37% compared to March 2024. It is clear that more people are driving the energy transition, but it needs capital to keep building the momentum.

That’s where community funding comes in. Instead of waiting for big institutions to lead the way, more people are deciding to invest in renewable energy projects themselves. These projects cut emissions, aiming to deliver potential returns. It’s what anyone could call investing with purpose. And it’s gaining real traction.

Platforms like Climatize are part of a newer wave of investing portals, built to connect everyday people with renewable energy projects that could help drive this transition.

This shift is part of something bigger. Impact investing is no longer a niche concept, it’s a global movement. According to the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), the market has grown at a 21% compound annual growth rate since 2019.

Nowadays, it’s easier than ever. You could choose a regulated platform, check their offerings, pick up a project that resonates with you, read the terms, and decide for yourself how much you’re backing it. Putting your money to use while generating impact. That’s the kind of access we think everyone should have. And that’s exactly what we’ve built with Climatize.

How to Make Your First Investment on Climatize

Climatize is a registered Funding Portal, licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), built to connect everyday investors with vetted renewable energy projects across the U.S.

When you invest, you're putting your money into vetted renewable energy projects developed by companies we call issuers.

Issuers are experienced developers and operators who come to Climatize to raise capital for their projects. Thanks to Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF), these opportunities aren’t just reserved for institutions anymore. It’s now open to anyone over 18 years old, starting with as little as $10.

When you create your account, you’re opening the door to invest directly in renewable energy projects across the U.S., projects that cut emissions, support communities, and aim for financial returns. But before you can fund your first project, a few important steps are designed to protect you and keep the process secure.

Completing Your Profile

To invest at Climatize, you’ll first need to complete your profile. This means filling your account with your personal information, which includes your legal name, address, birthday, Social Security Number, and verifying your ID.

Why do we ask for that? Because in order for Climatize to safeguard the platform, we verify all information of every investor, following strict protocol designed to protect your identity and your money. When talking about individuals' investments, we are committed to safety.

Linking Your Bank Account

Once your profile’s set, you need to link your bank account. Why do we do it this way? Because when you invest at Climatize, your money doesn’t go straight to the project right away. It’s first held in a third-party escrow account. We use a service called Plaid, it is a secure tool that lets you safely link your account, the same one used by apps like Venmo and Robinhood. 

That means the funds only get transferred if the fundraising goal is fully met and the offering closes successfully. If the raise doesn’t go through for any reason, your money is returned, plain and simple. That layer of protection exists for a reason.

And once a successful project starts repaying?

That’s the account we’ll use to send your repayments. For example, If you invest $50 and a project pays you back $55 → $50 is principal, $5 is interest. As long as the project performs and funds are available, you’ll receive your principal and interest straight into your linked bank account, no extra steps needed.

All investments carry risk, including the risk of loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investments offered through this platform are not insured or guaranteed, and returns are not guaranteed. You should carefully review all offering materials and consider your financial situation and risk tolerance before making any investment.

Getting your profile fully set up is the first step to becoming an active stakeholder in the energy transition.

Browse Live Projects on Climatize

Once your account is set up, you can start exploring live project offerings.

Inside the Climatize mobile app or web portal, you’ll find a list of vetted renewable energy projects across the U.S. Each one comes with all the key details: where it’s located, how long the project will run, the expected return, and what kind of climate impact it could have. When you open a project, you are not just getting a highlight reel. You’ll see all the important details, including a tab called Financials. That’s where you’ll find the project’s Form C.

Think of it like the project’s report card. It’s an official document that is filed with the SEC that shows you the company’s background, financial statements, how the issuer plans to use the funds, who owns what, and what risks are involved.

It's one of the best tools you have to understand where your money is going and what you’re really backing.

Every project on Climatize makes that information accessible. So whether you’re investing $10 or $1,000,000, you have the transparency you deserve before you decide.

Because at the end of the day, investing isn’t just about putting your money somewhere and hoping for the best. It’s about knowing what you’re part of and seeing the real change you’re helping build.

Tracking Your Investments and Impact

After your first investment, you will unlock your dashboard, called the Portfolio View.  This is where you will find updates on project progress and repayment schedules. You can track how much principal and interest have been repaid, and how your investments are performing over time.

And when tax season comes around, we also make it simple. If you earn more than $10 in interest during a calendar year, we’ll automatically generate a form called the 1099-INT. That’s the standard tax document used to report interest income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). 

You don’t have to request it or go searching through your inbox. Just head to the “Documents” tab in your Climatize dashboard, it’ll be there, ready to download when you need it.

We are not tax accountants, so please seek a professional when considering how investing could affect your tax return.

Investing in the Future Starts Here

The energy transition is already happening. It’s no longer just an idea, it’s a rapidly growing market. Technavio forecasts the impact investing market to reach $1,312.9 billion between 2025 and 2029, growing at a compound annual rate of 26.8%. That momentum is driven by people like you, choosing to align their money with their values.

Climatize makes it easy to get started, with transparency, impact, and vetted renewable energy projects you can support with as little as $10.

This is an opportunity to speed up the momentum, one project, one investment, one choice at a time.

What’s stopping you from making your first impact investment?
And if you’ve already started, what’s the most relevant aspect you remember?

We would love to read your comments below.