Our History

Nautilus Solar Energy®, LLC is a leading community solar company, providing clean energy to residential and commercial customers in local communities. Nautilus operates and manages solar farms in 10 states and is responsible for financing, development, maintenance, and customer service for the lifetime of the project. Founded in 2006, Nautilus has helped shape the future of solar to provide an equitable and affordable renewable energy choice for all. Nautilus is owned by Power Sustainable, a wholly owned subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada. Power Sustainable is a multi-platform alternative asset manager with a long-term investment approach focused on sustainable strategies

It all started on the back of a napkin

2006: Co-Founders Jim Rice and Laura Stern meet at a local Starbucks and sketched out their vision of on the back of a napkin.
2007: First company to apply the IPP business model to distributed generation solar.
2008: Early growth was fueled by an investment by Starwood Energy.
2015: Starwood sold its interest to Nautilus management and Virgo Investment Group.
2016: Jeffrey Cheng joins Nautilus as COO and business strategy shifts focus to Community Solar.
2019: Acquired by Power Sustainable, a wholly owned subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada, Nautilus expands quickly using its institutional-scale permanent capital.
2019: Jim Rice and Laura Stern become co-CEOs. Jeffrey Cheng becomes President.
2022: Jim Rice and Laura Stern step into advisory roles as new CEO Jeffrey Cheng leads the company to a new era of growth and leadership.

Our Vision, Mission
and Purpose

Vision

Creating a clean, sustainable future by offering an equitable and affordable renewable energy choice

Mission

To be the trusted provider of clean energy to local communities

Purpose

We want to be the energy partner of choice

Our Success

Nautilus Solar Energy's success as one of the foremost leaders in the renewable energy sector can be attributed to:

Taking a leading role in advancing policy and regulations in new markets
Creating new financing models
Subscribing its own residential customers in emerging markets
Maintaining ownership of farms in existing markets through the entire lifecycle of the solar farm
Hiring a passionate staff of experts in their field

Company Facts

Offices in Summit, NJ and York, ME.
Projects in 10 markets throughout the United States.
Nearly 100 employees across the country.

Our Name
Inspiration

Nautilus Solar Energy was named after the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus, launched by the U.S. Navy on January 21, 1954. It's a nod toward our company's co-founder and Navy Submarine Veteran Jim Rice.

Our Logo Inspiration

Did you know that our company's logo came from a shell? The chambered nautilus is one of the oldest creatures known to survive in the earth's oceans. It is a symbol of nature's grace in growth, expansion, and renewal.

With its mathematically precise shape, the shell represents one of the finest natural examples of a "logarithmic spiral," a phenomenon commonly found in nature.