The Benefits of Having Turnkey Engineering Partners

May 1

“Truth be told: solar is not rocket science. This is very much a ‘wrench-turning’ type of space. Being able to generate cost-savings while producing the highest quality result is all about the details,” Burkhart says. “There are firms out there that try and do everything. They do engineering for this industrial plant, or they do engineering for a residential development; for this and for that. They might have 500 people working for them, but only two have any solar experience.”

According to a report from Statista, between 2000 to 2021, net solar power generation in the U.S. went from 493 GW hours to 114,678 GW hours. This represents a 23,000% increase over just two decades. Many experts will cite shifting views on climate change and other external factors as the likely cause for the rise. However, those in the know see this surge in solar use as the direct result of commercial investment, more mature technology, and improved engineering solutions.

Doman Energy is one company that provides such solutions. Doman is the longest-standing utility-solar-specific firm in the industry, having led dozens of projects for clients all over the United States. As demand for utility-scale solar, or solar projects that connect to the overall electrical grid, skyrockets, Doman continues to separate itself from other firms. One key reason for this is the company’s partnership model.

Put simply: Doman doesn’t see engineering as just another “project line item.” Instead, the team prefers to forge long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with endless potential for collaboration. Now, clients of all sizes are taking notice.

A Growing Market for Utility-Scale Solar

Every day, solar engineering firms are proving the viability of the concept. From small home or commercial projects to 1 GW+ utility projects, there’s no denying that solar energy will continue growing and thriving. Along with this increased viability has come a shift in who participates in solar initiatives. Indeed, investment used to be dominated by public entities and the wealthy. But today, one can see private firms, manufacturing entities, and farmers all racing to take advantage of the technology.

And where there is demand, there will always be increased supply. In fact, Doman is just one of thousands of solar industry companies to appear over the past 15 years. But while competition is great from a client perspective, it also requires that those looking to initiate utility-scale solar projects be able to separate the “wheat from the chaff." According to Aaron Burkhart, VP at Doman, far too many projects are handed off to firms based solely on their name instead of their ability to drive results.

The Problem with “Big Box Solar”

Burkhart refers to many of the more high-profile firms as “big box” stores. They sell lots of types of engineering, which means solar is just “another option.” The way Burkhart sees it, there’s no incentive to go for a generalist over a specialist in any instance, but especially not when the specialist can provide more efficient and more affordable results.

“Doman is different because we only do solar engineering,” he says. “The multipurpose firms focus on quantity to pay the bills. We focus on quality. Furthermore, our team has been at this so long that we’ve developed proprietary techniques that drastically improve constructability. That translates into millions of dollars in savings on the bigger projects. Part-time solar engineers simply can’t deliver like that.”

How Partnership Changes the Game

Companies capable of generating the sorts of cost savings Doman provides can typically stake their claim on that fact alone. However, Burkhart and his team are not content to rest on their laurels and let the market work for them. As a scientist who has studied climate change adaptation extensively, Burkhart understands the benefits of being proactive.

“I want more projects to succeed,” he says. “I want my clients to get their solar initiatives up and running ASAP, because that’s ultimately how we’re going to solve all this. And that’s why we’ve pushed ourselves towards this partnership model.”

It’s true that most engineering firms only contribute to a project when it’s their “turn” to do so. Most utility-scale solar projects consist of handoff after handoff, with little collaboration between each party. Doman has seen this approach lead to costly delays and even project cancellations. A partnership model helps avoid such issues while benefitting everyone concerned.

A Solar Firm for the Life of the Project

“The two descriptors I use the most are turnkey engineering firm and value engineering,” Burkhart says. “When you partner with Doman, you get a highly-experienced team of engineers, specialists, and scientists behind you for the duration of your project. Not only do other engineering firms not do this, but most clients don’t even know they need it until it’s too late.”

It's true that solar’s growth continues to invite more complex regulation while simultaneously pushing development into new spaces. If a client were to try to navigate these waters with a “big box” or inexperienced engineering firm at their side, they might find themselves fighting an uphill battle – and an expensive one at that.

“If you’re a Doman partner, you can rest assured we’re going to review things early on to see if there are any ‘gotchas’ or risks. We’re going to review contracts to make sure factors like power performance guarantees are correct,” Burkhart says. “Engineering is something that really needs to be there, not just for the early development period and primary engineering period, but during construction support and regulatory compliance. It also needs to be there at the end, during due diligence and at the project's close, to answer those tough questions.”

Every project is subject to various levels of regulation. It starts with AJHs, or authority-having jurisdictions, but each state will also have its own unique Department of Environmental Quality. Of course, there’s also the Federal EPA to consider. That said, keeping one’s project on track goes beyond maintaining compliance. Companies must also be able to explain how and why they’re compliant in a language the regulators understand. “Because our clients have us on hand throughout the process, we can be proactive and not reactive,” says Burkhart. “And they can have engineers and scientists behind them to talk to regulators in a language they understand.”

The Doman Energy Difference

As more and more companies, factories, and commercial properties embrace the potential of solar power, more engineering firms will enter the space. However, those projects with the best potential to meet compliance and get up and running fast will be those that incorporate engineering from start to finish. Companies like Doman see their entire portfolio as “proof of concept.”

“We’re a turnkey engineering firm,” Burkhart says. “Making solar projects successful is what we do. We don’t just stand by our partners throughout the life of their projects; we do so while delivering better, more affordable results. It’s hard to imagine an easier decision.”

Kenneth Wical