To help reduce carbon footprints and fight climate change, Hero Power is giving Chicagoans and people around the world the ability to support renewable forms of electricity.
The startup, which was launched in 2018 by Ty Benefiel and Yan Man, allows ComEd customers in northern Illinois to purchase renewable energy certificates from wind farms across the country. Joining Hero Power is free and users pay the same rate as their current ComEd bill.
Like ComEd, Hero Power buys electricity from the energy market to power homes, but since clean energy electrons cannot be sent directly to consumers, Hero Power purchases renewable energy certificates to match 100 percent of customers’ electricity consumption.
“When Hero Power first launched, it always tried to provide innovative ways for individuals to participate in the transition to clean energy and make it as easy as possible,” Benefiel said. “They can support clean energy every time they pay their bill.”
Right now, ComEd is the only electricity company Hero Power is working with. The startup wants to expand to other areas of the country, but is limited in how far it can reach because of certain state regulations that ban residents’ ability to choose electricity providers, Benefiel said.
But to get around complicated regulations like these, Hero Power launched a new solar share plan this month. The plan allows customers anywhere in the world to purchase monthly subscriptions for as low as $5 per month, which go toward funding new, local solar panel projects.
In return, subscribers receive points based on the amount of electricity the panels they’ve funded produce, which can be redeemed for energy-efficient products, like LED lightbulbs and smart thermostats, items that lower electricity bills and reduce carbon footprints.
“we absolutely need to support clean energy more than ever.”
Solar share members receive weekly impact reports detailing how much carbon is offset by their contribution, the amount of clean energy that is generated by the project and how many points they earned for participating.
“By subscribing to the solar share program, our customers immediately offset their carbon footprint because they are supporting more clean energy generation,” Benefiel said.
Hero Power originally started as an app in 2014 called Meter Genius that was designed to help energy companies assist their customers in using less electricity and becoming more energy efficient. Benefiel and Man launched it together after meeting as graduate students at Northwestern University, earning an MBA and masters of engineering, respectively.
“Even though people loved the fact that they were learning ways to become more energy efficient and lower their carbon footprint, our clients, the energy companies, weren’t doing a whole lot more to help their customers support clean energy,” Benefiel said.
Later in 2018, the founders launched Hero Power, and to date, it has raised $1.5 million, Benefiel said.
Hero Power markets itself through online ads, but Benefiel said one of its best marketing tactics has simply been word-of-mouth.
“Our customers love to tell people about the impact that they’re making by joining Hero Power,” he said. “We’re really making it easy and fun at a time when we absolutely need to support clean energy more than ever.”
