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Climate Financing

Your financing partner for the low-carbon future

Connecting clean energy developers, installers, and building owners with the financing solutions they require.

At VCIB, we find innovative solutions to get your unique clean energy and energy efficiency projects off the ground, built, and scaled.

What
we finance

Renewable Energy

Energy Storage Projects

Geoexchange heating & cooling systems

Energy efficiency
retrofits &
green buildings

Electric Vehicle infrastructure

Microgrids and transmission & distribution upgrades

Energy Recovery (waste-to-energy / bio-energy)

Circular And Sustainable Manufacturing Projects

Indigenous Owned Clean Energy Projects

Bio Energy

What
we offer

Construction Financing

Construction
Financing

Solutions for projects that are “shovel-ready.”

Long-Term Financing or Refinancing

Long-Term Financing
or Refinancing

Optimize your operational projects.

Short-Term & Bridge Financing

Short-Term &
Bridge Financing

Build and aggregate a portfolio of projects.

On-bill financing or PACE structures

On-bill
financing
or PACE structures

Support for municipal or utility clean energy or efficiency programs.

Loan Features

Loan size:

$3M - $50M

per project or portfolio of projects; larger loans may be syndicated with partners

Term:

2 to 15 years

with amortizations of up to 30 years, commensurate with contract length and equipment life

Leverage:

Up to 80%

of project costs, commensurate with debt service coverage ratios

Rates:

Risk and impact-based pricing

market competitive interest rates and financing fees

To learn more about our rate structures, financing options, and process, download our information package.

Download Brochure

Meet the Team

At VCIB, we have decades of experience serving the small-to-mid size renewable energy market. Whether you’re curious about the best way to structure a loan for your clean energy project, or just want to learn more about our flexible financing, our team is here to support you.
Trish Nixon
Managing Director, Climate Finance

A proven track record

Our team has supported the development or installation of more than 1,650 distributed clean energy or energy efficiency projects across Canada. Click on any of the thumbnails below to learn more.

Tell us about your project and get started today.

Get Started

Frequently Asked Questions

Why VCIB?

With VCIB, developers and building owners have access to a broader range of clean energy financing services than is typically offered by most financial institutions. These include both project financing and commercial mortgage financing across a wide range of clean technologies and business models.

What is it like to work with VCIB?

We have a deep understanding of clean energy markets, technologies and business models, and often become actively involved with our clients in helping structure projects to create the best outcomes. We are mission driven and believe in the importance of accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy which creates great alignment with our clients.

What are your high-level investment criteria?

We look at several key considerations for project-finance transactions.

  • The project must contribute to the solutions to climate change by reducing energy or generating clean power.
  • The project developer and other partners are experienced with strong teams and track records.
  • The project should use well-established technologies and have appropriate warranties and insurance in place.
  • The counterparty or purchaser of the energy or efficiency services is creditworthy, and credit risk is moderate and mitigated.
  • The loan is secured by project cash-flows, material contracts and by physical equipment where appropriate.
  • Construction risk and operational risk is moderate and mitigated.

Other deal structures may look at different criteria – please get in touch with us to learn more depending on the nature of your project or initiative.

What can I expect in terms of due diligence?

Each loan follows a thorough yet practical due diligence process and is structured by our team of professionals and support from experienced legal counsel.

The process is adapted to suit the needs of each borrower and typically includes a review of both the sponsor and the project. This includes the sponsor’s corporate history, background, development expertise, management team, financial performance, liabilities, potential conflicts of interest, capitalization and funding sources. For the project, we review and analyze financial projections and assumptions, the project construction schedule, suppliers of technology and feedstock, operation & maintenance requirements and contracts, regulatory considerations, environmental status or claims and insurance.

What is the relationship between VCIB and CoPower?

In 2019, VCIB acquired CoPower. CoPower continued to operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of VCIB with back-office support provided by the bank until 2021 when the two organizations integrated their strategy and operations. As part of this integration, the decision was made to winddown CoPower’s green bond fundraising model and transition its clean energy lending business to VCIB.

CoPower’s founding team have joined VCIB, including Trish Nixon, VCIB’s Managing Director of Commercial Impact Banking, Jonathan Frank, Director of Clean Energy Business Development, and David Berliner, Director of Structuring Clean Energy Financing.

Vancity Community Investment Bank is a member of CDIC and is a Certified B CorpTM