Become a General Partner in Clean Energy Projects
Participate as an active GP in Helios energy projects, share in the economics, and potentially use project tax benefits to offset eligible W-2 income through material participation in real, operating assets.
What It Means To Be a GP Investor
As a General Partner (GP), you are more than a passive capital provider. You participate in key decisions, help oversee project execution, and may be able to treat income, losses, depreciation, and certain tax credits as active for federal tax purposes if you meet IRS material participation requirements.
Tax Benefits + Cash Yield
GP investors in Helios projects typically participate in two primary value streams:
- Allocations of federal tax credits (e.g., EV charging or solar incentives) based on ownership interests.
- Allocations of depreciation and operating results from underlying energy assets.
- Optional participation in project cash flow, depending on the specific transaction structure.
Actual structures, returns, and allocations vary by project, are not guaranteed, and remain subject to IRS rules and your individual tax situation.
Potential to Offset Eligible W-2 Income
Under current U.S. tax rules, certain investors who qualify as materially participating GPs may be able to treat project income, losses, and credits as non-passive.
- Participate in key project calls, reviews, and approvals.
- Document 100+ hours per year of meaningful involvement, or meet another IRS material participation test.
- Coordinate with your tax advisor to properly apply benefits in your personal tax return.
Whether you can offset W-2 income depends on your facts and circumstances. Helios does not provide tax or legal advice.
GP Requirements & Responsibilities
GP investors share in governance and oversight. Your role is designed to be structured, efficient, and compatible with a demanding professional schedule while still meeting IRS expectations for active involvement.
Core GP Requirements
- Sign GP/operating documents for the project SPV.
- Make and fund your agreed capital contribution.
- Participate in project calls and key decisions as outlined in the GP agreement.
- Maintain a contemporaneous log of hours and activities.
Each project includes a defined scope of GP responsibilities so you know exactly what is expected of you.
Examples of Qualifying Activities
- Reviewing project budgets, schedules, and engineering assumptions.
- Participating in site-host and financing discussions.
- Approving major contracts, change orders, and scope revisions.
- Monitoring construction progress and operational performance reports.
These activities are coordinated through the Helios software platform so you can complete most tasks from any device.
How the Helios Platform Supports Active GPs
The Helios Charging software platform is built to make GP participation simple to manage and easy to document, creating an organized record of your involvement that you and your tax advisors can rely on.
Task-Based Participation
Each project assigns you clearly defined tasks—budget reviews, milestone approvals, document sign-offs—so your involvement is structured and easy to complete.
Automatic Time & Activity Logs
Actions taken in the platform (reviews, comments, approvals) are timestamped and associated with your profile, creating a detailed record of hours and involvement over the life of the project.
Exportable Reports for Your CPA
Download participation summaries and activity exports that your CPA can use to evaluate whether you meet IRS material participation standards for your specific situation.
Reminders & Notifications
Email and in-app reminders keep you on track with upcoming calls, reviews, and approvals so you can maintain your active status without guessing what to do next.
Project & Tax Benefit Dashboards
View project status, capital deployed, and tax benefit allocations in one place, along with key documents and historical communications.
Centralized Documentation
Operating agreements, participation guides, PIS documentation, and key project records are stored securely, helping build a cohesive package for future review or audit.
Simple Path to Becoming a GP Investor
We’ve designed a streamlined process to evaluate if GP investing is a fit for you, enroll you in a project, and onboard you to the Helios platform.
Explore Fit & Objectives
Meet with Helios to discuss your investment goals, tax profile (with your advisor), and whether active GP participation is appropriate for your situation.
Review Project & GP Role
Review the specific project, GP documents, expected tax benefits, and participation plan. Your tax advisor can help you evaluate the implications.
Onboard & Participate
Once admitted as a GP, you are onboarded to the Helios platform, assigned tasks and calls, and provided tools to track and document your involvement.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or investment advice. The ability to use any tax credits, deductions, or losses – including any potential to offset W-2 income – depends on your individual circumstances, the structure of a particular project, and current law and IRS guidance.
Helios Charging and its affiliates do not provide tax or legal advice. Prospective investors must consult with their own independent tax, legal, and financial advisors before making any investment decision or relying on any potential tax treatment.
Interested in Exploring a GP Role?
If you are a high-earning professional or business owner interested in actively participating in real energy projects, our team can walk you through current opportunities and how GP investing might fit alongside your broader tax and investment strategy.