National milestone comes as bank continues financing clean energy infrastructure
Climate First Bank Founder: "Climate First Bank is already the fastest-growing new bank in America since 2009 and has built a national clean energy financing platform positioned to help support the infrastructure investment needed to address increasing power demand and expand grid capacity."
ST. PETERSBURG, FL / ACCESS Newswire / October 14, 2026 / Climate First Bank, the world's first FDIC-insured digital community bank founded to combat the climate crisis, announced it has financed over 10,000 residential solar installations - a major clean energy financing milestone equivalent to generating an estimated 328GW hours annually of renewable power across 44 states.
The national achievement comes as the mission-driven bank continues to see strong demand for renewable commercial infrastructure, including battery energy storage systems, amid growing power requirements associated with data centers and artificial intelligence.
Ken LaRoe, Founder of Climate First Bank, said, "Many pundits said climate finance was dead. They were dead wrong. Nationally, residential solar remains strong as homeowners seek affordable, predictable utility bills. Businesses are also investing in solar and battery storage systems to save money and gain greater energy independence. Climate First Bank is already the fastest-growing new bank in America since 2009 and has built a national clean energy financing platform well positioned to help finance the infrastructure needed to address increasing power demand and expand grid capacity."
Driven by transparent ethical financing, no dealer or broker fees and affordable fixed-rate loan options, Climate First's Residential Solar Program is designed to help protect customers from rising utility costs and grid reliability concerns. Those concerns are well documented: a recent US Department of Energy report found that "most regions will face unacceptable reliability risks within five years," while the International Finance Corporation projects that "residential electricity rates could rise 15% to 40% over the next five years and double by 2050."
As an FDIC-insured bank, Climate First uses customer deposits to provide capital for renewable energy investments. Climate First's sister fintech company, OneEthos, has developed point-of-sale technology that helps customers obtain financing approval quickly and connects them with nearly 700 approved installers across the country.
In addition to continued residential solar activity, Climate First has experienced increased commercial financing activity for clean energy infrastructure. Climate First Bank recently financed $72 million in battery energy storage projects - providing 45MW of power and storing up to 180 MWH of electricity across Virginia and Texas. These battery systems, which are a critical element in driving energy efficiencies, enable these communities to store excess wind and solar power to dispatch when the grid needs it, provide resilience to communities when the grid is under strain, and enable them to take polluting generation off the grid.
Marcio deOliveria, CEO of OneEthos, said, "As electricity demand continues to increase, the solution is not a choice between distributed energy and large-scale generation. We need both. Residential solar, battery storage, and other distributed energy resources, working alongside utility-scale clean energy projects, are critical to meeting America's energy needs. Together, these resources strengthen grid reliability, improve energy security, and make the entire US energy grid more resilient."
About Climate First Bank
Recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of fastest-growing private companies in America, Climate First Bank is the world's first FDIC-insured, values based, digital community bank founded to combat the climate crisis. A Certified B Corp, 1 percent for the Planet member and operationally net-zero since it opened its doors in June 2021, the Bank offers a complete, full-service portfolio of simple and easy-to-use traditional banking products powered by technology to meet the expectations of today's consumers. In addition to offering standard banking services, the company places a special emphasis on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and businesses committed to sustainability. Eco-conscious customers will find dedicated loan options for solar photovoltaic (PV), energy retrofits and infrastructure to help combat the climate crisis. The Bank reports annually on its impact in line with corporate social responsibility goals. For more information, please visit: www.climatefirstbank.com.
About OneEthos
OneEthos is a Certified B Corp, mission-driven fintech company. The company operates at the intersection of financial technology (fintech) and traditional banking with the objective of accelerating the delivery of sustainable and inclusive financial services to all segments of the population. OneEthos is one of the only fintech companies specializing in climate finance in the United States and regulated by the Federal Reserve Bank as part of a bank holding company. The company's mission is to enable Community Banks, Credit Unions, CDFIs, and Green Banks to grow their loan portfolios profitably and responsibly, providing access to banking products and services that have a positive impact on people, communities and the environment.
Contact Information:
John Collins, john@CollinsSG.com
SOURCE: Climate First Bank
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/banking-and-financial-services/climate-first-bank-surpasses-10-000-residential-solar-installations-1237019
