GREENS candidate Marcus Finch doesn't expect to win the seat of Caloundra, admitting the impossibility of that outcome for the party had left him as the only branch member willing to put his hand up.

But his candidacy does have a real purpose and it's not just to bang the drum for renewable energy, something about which the entrepreneur and self-described 'Greens property development arm' is passionate.

"We're a small group and I held out for two months," Mr Finch said. "It's very difficult when there is no chance of winning.

"Why do we bother? It's because we need to give voters the choice of alternative, evidence-based policies and to get them out there.

"Someone has to hold that flag up for commonsense."

Marcus and his wife, who both went to Caloundra High and teaching careers before developing child care centres and other projects, live at Moffat Beach where they practice what they preach in a recently-completed hempcrete home.

They exist off the energy grid with solar power and a 10kw battery back up which cost $5000 and Marcus says would only cost $2000 in a year's time.

And he points to zinc refiner Sun Metals in Townsville which relies on a 160 Mw solar system with battery back up that delivers cheaper energy than that produced by coal-fired power stations.

"Even if you don't accept the science of climate change and global warming, as an energy source coal is finished," Mr Finch said.

"So why do we subsidise Cayman Island billionaires to dig holes in Australia. It's not on."

He said the LNP had locked up Sunshine Coast electorates for decades resulting in them being close to the most underfunded in the state.

"If we can make some marginal we would really get something happening."

And there in lies the real reason for his running. The Greens generally receive 30% of LNP second preferences in Caloundra.

"If I can convince 5% of them to preference us first and LNP second that would make this a marginal seat," Mr Finch said.

The candidate who would benefit most would be Labor's Jason Hunt who Mr Finch said would double the IQ of Labor's front bench if elevated to Cabinet in a returned Labor Government.

HOW TO VOTE CARD: Finch (Greens) 1, Hunt (Labor) 2, McArdle (LNP) 3, Rod Jones (PHON) 4.