CHICAGO, April 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nautilus Solar Energy® LLC, one of the largest community solar businesses in the United States and a major contributor to America’s advancement in energy diversification, today announced that its $275 million community solar term loan has been recognized with two prestigious industry awards.
The awards highlight the transaction’s impact on sustainability goals and stand as an exhibition of outstanding sustainable financing in action. At the time, the agreement marked the company’s largest single debt transaction, expanding Nautilus’s lender base while underscoring market confidence in the company and the long-term value of U.S. community solar. The financing was led by SMBC (Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation), with participation from MUFG and Apterra Infrastructure Capital – all new lending partners for Nautilus.
“The Nautilus team felt energized by this transaction from the start. Outside of the deal’s sheer scale, it has enabled us to deliver even more affordable, clean energy to households and communities who have would otherwise have limited access to clean energy solutions. We are honored that the industry is also recognizing our team's outstanding work, especially in what is a universally challenging debt market,” said Camelia Miu, Chief Financial Officer of Nautilus Solar Energy. “These two awards are a testament to our financial partners' confidence in our community solar model and the impact Nautilus is making on the market.”
The two award recognitions include:
Sustainable Finance Deal of the Year - North America
Sustainable Finance Awards 2026 | Presented by Global Finance Magazine
Global Finance Magazine's Sustainable Finance Awards recognize the most impactful and innovative transactions driving the global transition to a more sustainable economy. The “Deal of the Year - North America” designation places Nautilus's community solar financing among the most consequential sustainable finance transactions of the year across the continent.
SMBC, a co-arranger on the transaction and a recognized leader in sustainable finance, noted the deal's significance: “This transaction is an achievement that reflects both SMBC’s and Nautilus’ deep commitment to sustainability and innovation, making it a standout candidate for recognition in the renewable-energy sector.” SMBC further described the deal as “a transformative milestone in advancing clean energy access across the United States.”
Award for Innovation – Loan Use of Proceeds (Americas)
Environmental Finance’s Sustainable Debt Awards 2026 | Presented by Environmental Finance
As part of celebrating the most innovative and leading debt investments that advance environmental and societal deals, an independent panel of judges from around the world recognize outstanding deals as part of Environmental Finance’s Sustainable Debt Awards. Winning the “Award for Innovation — Loan Use of Proceeds (Americas)” recognizes the term loan's exceptional structure and the clarity and ambition of how its proceeds are deployed to generate measurable clean energy impact.
Announced in September of 2025, the capital investment is responsible for bringing more than 25 community solar projects online across Illinois, Maryland, Delaware, New York and Rhode Island through the remainder of 2026. Together, these projects are adding more than 130MW of capacity to local energy grids and increasing Nautilus’s total operating and managed portfolio to 700MW. The expansion will deliver clean, affordable energy to over 11,000 households and small businesses.
About Nautilus
Founded in 2006, Nautilus has become one of the largest community solar businesses in the U.S. and a contributor to America’s clean energy transition. Delivering affordable, clean energy solutions to residential and commercial customers, Nautilus currently operates and manages 165 community solar farms across 12 states and serves over 55,000 subscribers. It takes a unique, full-service approach to its community solar business—handling project financing, development, construction, maintenance and customer management for the entire lifespan of every project. Nautilus is backed by Power Sustainable, a multi-platform alternative asset manager and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada. For more information, visit nautilussolar.com. Join Nautilus on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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