The Commoditization of Renewable Energy Project Development-as-a-Service (DaaS)

Over the years, the term "disruptor" has suffered a diminishing impact, primarily due to its widespread misuse and overapplication. This trend has led to a dilution of the term's substance, with many companies adopting the label without substantiating it through genuine innovation or transformative contributions. Consequently, a scenario has emerged where entities routinely deploy the term without fundamentally altering traditional models or achieving significant breakthroughs.

Despite the overuse of the term, "disruption" remains a potent conceptual framework that sheds light on the vulnerability of established organizations that neglect the importance of embracing change. The purpose of this article is not to contribute to the continued dilution of the "disruptor" term. Instead, its aim is to underscore how Cleantech Industry Resources (CIR) stands poised to redefine conventional norms within the dynamic landscape of the cleantech industry.

Reshaping the Traditional Paradigms

CIR is amending the renewable energy industry’s traditional project development paradigms by providing fully commoditized renewable energy development-as-a-service (DaaS) for the first time. What does this mean? Rapid delivery with guaranteed low costs and fixed prices even as development assets constantly evolve through the myriad of milestones necessary to take a project from concept to operation.

Renewable energy projects experience a multitude of changes, giving rise to substantial rework, risks, expenses, and delays. These changes stem from various factors, including zoning board requirements, module adjustments, optimization for evolving supply chains and incentive structures, site study outcomes, the peccadilloes of a local inspector, or one of my favorites - mitigation for a rare groundhog habitat. The list extends into the near infinite at the interface of unique site conditions, stakeholder preferences and an everchanging landscape of options around product integration and financial structuring.

Before CIR, changes incurred extra development expenses and led to significant delays and increased risk of project termination. In contrast, CIR's development-as-a-service model avoids costly change orders, enabling stakeholders to advance projects faster. This approach supports deeper optimization efforts, reduces development and engineering costs, and minimizes risks, positioning CIR as the ultimate one-stop solution with a highly automated platform and a global team operating 24/7—acting as the elbow grease, accelerator, optimizer, and de-risker for diverse project needs along the development assembly line.

CIR's Full Integration Approach to Services

If it is a task essential to taking a renewable project from start to finish, CIR either executes it internally (such as turnkey systems engineering, site analysis, interconnection processes, financial modeling, scheduling, contracting, estimation, etc.), or scopes, bids, contracts and manages the task to completion (site studies). CIR’s team is engineer-heavy, but also includes lawyers, project accountants, developers, project managers, estimators, procurement experts, financial associates and more. Despite being a turnkey developer, CIR does not develop its own projects, ensuring there is no channel conflict with its developer partners.

CIR’s Comprehensive Suite of Services

1. Development-as-a-Service (DaaS): Offering a fully transparent task-based "menu" approach allows customers to select only the services necessary to advance their projects and control the pace of development accordingly, with visibility into progress through a real-time enterprise software platform. From 5kW residential systems in California to 4MW carports in Maryland to 350MW solar fields in Texas, CIR’s platform performs all tasks to progress projects from initial origination through to operations. Customers can engage CIR on any individual task or for turnkey project development-as-a-service. CIR is agnostic to scope; the platform is designed to fill in bandwidth needed based on developer, financer, or IPP team needs. When CIR’s website goes live, it will look like you’re on Nike's website, but instead of shopping for AirMax 95’s, you’ll be perusing meticulous engineering, development, and financial services available for any solar project type, size, and available in all 50 states.
2. Full System Engineering Services: CIR handles every facet of project system design, guiding it from conceptualization to construction. Working all hours of the day, CIR delivers engineering products in one-third of the time of typical competitors. CIR’s capabilities encompass project location mapping, comprehensive due diligence reports, detailed electrical plans, equipment layout, cable routing, grounding plans, comprehensive electrical studies, among dozens of additional engineering services.
3. Subscription-Based Professional Services: In addition to CIR’s low-cost, fixed-priced products business, CIR deploys “Renewable Energy Professionals” or “REPs,” including Electrical Engineers, Developers, Project Managers (PMs), Financial Associates, Sales Operations, Estimators and additional tailored support roles. This support system serves as a conduit to turnkey development and engineering software, tools and services while CIR’s customers manage the resource. Whether it is 10, 20, 40, 80, or 160 hours per month, or pay as you go, customers get corresponding access to a dedicated REP. All within the company’s 24-hour workday and deep bench of software tools - request deliverables at 6 PM, and they will often be waiting in your inbox at 6 AM the next day. Degreed REPs with three plus years relevant experience start at $19 / hour.
4. Construction Management (EPCm) Services: CIR’s team includes cost estimators, schedulers, procurement specialists, contract administrators, and certified project and construction managers with multiple gigawatts of projects completed on a direct-to-labor basis in the United States and globally. Supported by the Company’s turnkey engineering services team, the Delivery Team arranges all aspects of project pre-construction and construction, ensuring projects move efficiently through development and engineering milestones, reducing costs, and accelerating execution. The team delivers detailed Critical Path Milestone Schedules, S-Curves, project budgets, project accounting, project compliance certification (Prevailing Wages), and all other elements required to progress a tax-equity compliant project from Notice to Proceed (NTP) to Commercial Operations. Partnered with labor providers operating within CIR’s QA/QC and Safety ecosystem, CIR builds-as-a-service.

A Tech-Forward Vision

CIR exceeds the conventional model, evolving into a true technological steamroller at the forefront of cleantech development and modernization. Functioning as a dynamic fusion of software and automation, as an AI hub, CIR stands apart from traditional service providers by strategically coupling cutting-edge technologies. CIR’s commitment to technological innovation goes beyond mere adoption; it defines the spirit of the company’s identity. The result is a streamlined, efficient, and intelligent methodology that sets new standards for excellence in cleantech development and deployment.

CIR takes pride in offering a distinctive suite of services, supported by a seasoned team committed to genuine transformation. Anchored by a recently constructed 150-seat office in Ahmedabad, India, CIR embarks on an ambitious journey toward a vision of having 1,000 employees within the next three years. CIR's white-labeled services with industry-leading costs and turnaround times will empower customers' organizational growth without compromising the integrity of their brands.

For more information, please reach out to CIR's Chief Strategy Officer - Darren Wyatt