Solar for the benefit of all
Lightstar develops, builds and owns community solar projects with more than 550 megawatts (MW) of projects completed or in development in the United States and abroad. Founded in 2019 by a seasoned team of solar developers, our mission is to ensure solar is a benefit for all – people, places, and the planet. We are focused on leading in community solar development that is built with ecology and agricultural needs at the forefront, which in our mind is a key next phase of the clean energy transition.
Origin Story
Lightstar is a pioneer of community solar development. Our leaders and team helped to define the market from the beginning. The company was founded in 2019 to ensure that solar is a benefit to all – people, places, and the planet. Our first projects brought the benefits of solar to the affordable housing community.
Lightstar’s executives and partners are pioneers in clean energy and have successfully developed 1,000 MW of renewable energy projects across the United States and abroad. Our focus has been building and operating solar farms that produce 2 to 20 MWs of solar energy.
Lightstar uses environmentally sound best practices, aiming to leave the soil better than we found it. We use native plants, pollinator-friendly seed mixes, and test the soil before, during, and after construction.
Our pioneering spirit drives us as we push forward innovative ways to provide additional benefits to landowners, the local community and the surrounding ecology.
Our business model
Lightstar is unique in that we not only develop and build our solar projects, we also own and operate them. This means that we align all phases with our ethos of ensuring solar provides not only profit, but also benefits people and the planet. We have the backing of an established funding partner that is committed to expanding access to solar energy. This means that we have secure financing and when we begin a project, our partners can rely on the fact that we’ll take it through to completion.
“The need for accessible, clean energy options across the U.S. is rapidly accelerating as more people become attuned to the impact of their energy decisions. Magnetar’s investment in Lightstar Renewables will enable more local communities to participate in the clean energy revolution and reap the benefits of community solar. We believe Lightstar’s leadership team has the right skill-sets to serve as a strategic, long-term partner to residents, cities and towns looking to transform their energy footprint, and we’re excited to support Lightstar in furthering its reach and impact.”
Eric Scheyer, Head of
Magnetar's Energy & Infrastructure Group
Our Team
As the developer and operator of our solar projects, we are truly long-term and constant partners. We are an experienced, growing team with 1 gigawatt of combined experience in developing solar projects, backed by a solid funding partner.
