How CS Energy's PMO Drives Success in Solar Project Construction

By: Mallary Flockerzi, Vice President, Project Management Office (PMO)

In our new article series, we explore the growing world of renewable energy through the lens of an industry expert on our team.

Mallary Flockerzi, Vice President of the Project Management Office at CS Energy, brings a unique perspective rooted in experience and innovation. Through her insightful interview, Mallary sheds light on the challenges and rewards of working in renewable energy, the role of project management in accelerating success, and the effective strategies that CS Energy employs to pioneer advancements in the field.

What is your role in the company?

My role at CS Energy is to instill certainty and governance into the company's processes to ensure successful execution. This includes various facets of our projects, including project management, quality, commissioning, project closeout, and warranty. I also oversee critical aspects such as project controls, engineering, and business operations, and I champion some of our mentoring and coaching initiatives for operations employees.

How did you get started in renewables?

My career started in heavy civil. When the opportunity arose to build a solar project in southern New Jersey in 2014, I jumped at the opportunity to try something new and have been enjoying the renewable space ever since.

What excites you about working in renewable energy? I enjoy the fast pace of renewable projects and the quick turnaround times. Since renewable projects typically have shorter construction duration, flawless execution is key for an on-time and profitable project.

From a Project Management Office perspective, what are the biggest challenges within the renewable energy industry today?

The renewable industry is constantly growing and improving. Because of this, industry standards are always evolving, and we need to continually evaluate and improve our current processes to verify that we are meeting or exceeding industry changes. With the improvement of processes comes training and education for those using them. The cycle of industry change, improving processes, and training personnel is a constant that we must maintain to be competitive in the renewable industry.

"CS Energy is able to maintain the cycle of change, improve, and train to support our employees and our clients."

How can/does CS Energy overcome these challenges?

By having a Project Management Office that focuses on process improvement and governance, CS Energy is able to maintain the cycle of change, improve, and train to support our employees and our clients.

Can you walk us through a typical project lifecycle and highlight your role at each stage?

Once we receive a verbal award from our clients, we start our FMEA process (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis). The FMEA process is owned by our Operations team but governed by PMO. The focus of the FMEA process is to identify and evaluate our risks while working towards executing an EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract with our clients. Once executed, we move into the execution phase of our project, which starts with an internal kick-off meeting with all internal stakeholders, which the PMO initiates and guides. PMO is then involved in executing the project build by training on key processes, verifying our key processes are being properly performed, and providing coaching and mentorship for our project teams as needed. The governance of our processes and the coaching of our employees continue through the final competition of our projects.

In your experience, what are the key factors in ensuring the success of a large-scale solar energy project?

Collaborative team engagement is critical to success. We do our best work when the sum of CS Energy’s collective talents and experiences are put to work for our clients.?

From a PMO standpoint, how do you balance the need for fast project delivery with maintaining high standards of safety and quality?

Our diverse people are the core of our business and the reason for our success. We want all employees to return home safely to their families while providing long-lasting, quality projects for our clients. Safety and quality are at the forefront of our minds as two of our six core values. Our company culture focuses on the importance of safety and quality. This focus has become one of our key value drivers and a source of tremendous pride.

When quality issues arise, they negatively impact our schedule and profitability, so focusing on installing our systems correctly the first time allows us to meet aggressive schedules.

Through continuous improvement of processes, emphasis on safety and quality, and dedication to empowering our workforce, CS Energy exemplifies how a PMO can steer large-scale renewable energy projects to success, contributing to a Clean and Sustainable Future. Stay tuned for the next installment of this insightful series!