How Doman Energy Plans Projects that Pay for Themselves

The solar industry continues to grow by leaps and bounds all around the world. And despite giving off an aura of social and political reluctance, the United States is actually a global leader in residential and utility solar power generation.

In fact, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) reports that the U.S. installed 20.2 gigawatts of solar PV capacity in 2022 alone. There are also some 37,000 megawatts of utility-scale solar projects currently operating in the U.S., with another estimated 112,000 MW on the way.

The term utility-scale solar refers to any project designed to be hooked up to the grid. Though many Americans still only think of solar in terms of a single home or business, utility-scale solar represents a much bigger idea: creating projects that help power the community as a whole.

Over the past decade, Doman Energy has emerged as a leader in this rapidly-growing space. However, Doman has also managed to set itself apart from the competition by engineering deliverables that, quite literally, “pay for themselves.”

The “Value Engineering” Approach

Solar costs continue to decline despite ongoing global supply chain issues. However, that doesn’t mean parties seeking utility-level solar projects aren’t concerned about cost. Indeed, a single misstep at any point in the project life cycle can end up costing a developer millions more than anticipated. This is where Doman’s proprietary engineering technique elevates the company above other utility-scale solar developers.

“We never allow ourselves to forget that we’re constructing an electrical power plant,” says Doman VP Aaron Burkhart. “Keeping that in mind is key to providing high-value results. We can use the exact same number of racks and modules as the other guys. But we can craft a far more streamlined design. This increases efficiency, and – over time – translates directly into cost savings.”

Further contributing to Doman’s value solar initiative is the company’s penchant for standardization, which goes far beyond simple SOPs. “When you take the time to standardize properly, you’re essentially reproducing the same thing over and over,” Burkhart continues. “This not only makes the construction process faster and far clearer, but it allows you to cut electrical costs, equipment costs – everything. All of that adds up.”

Adding up is a rather modest way to refer to figures that can reach well into the millions depending on the scale of the project. “The bigger the project, the bigger the savings,” Burkart says. “Time and time again, we see how standardization can reduce material costs. That’s why our projects don’t only pay for themselves; they do so in a fraction of the time compared to other solar companies.”

Doman’s proprietary approach, often referred to by Burkhart as the “secret sauce,” is the key ingredient in what the company calls “value engineering.” As bonafide solar enthusiasts, the Doman team is heavily invested in helping to create a world dominated by green energy solutions. “I can look our clients in the eye and tell them our engineering can save them $10 million on the price of their project,” Burkhart says. “It’s not something they encounter every day.”  

Your Utility Scale Solar Design Partners

While providing projects that pay for themselves is a major selling point to working with Doman, it is far from the only one. The Doman Energy Group’s extensive network boasts professionals with experience dating as far back as the late 1990s. These men and women grew alongside the technology, watching it evolve from a high-cost space dominated by wealthy early adopters to a viable large-scale energy solution.

Today’s solar marketplace isn’t solely the domain of millionaires and governments but farmers, private business owners, and hedge funds. Meanwhile, the technology has improved enough that even former naysayers now see it as a scalable, affordable way to power the global future.

But for all the benefits modern solar affords, there are challenges as well. For starters, there is increased environmental and regulatory compliance to consider. Indeed, many business owners forget that merely investing in green energy doesn’t immediately remove all of the local, state, and federal hurdles in their way.

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the EPA have the authority to shut down solar projects that don’t meet compliance or simply can’t provide proof of compliance. And since many developers treat engineering as “just another line item” on their balance sheet, they don’t have anyone on hand to stand up for them.

So, to ensure the long-term success of its clients’ projects, Doman embraces a partnership model. The way Burkhart and his team see it, companies that see engineering as just “another step in the process” leave themselves open to significant risk. However, those that are willing to forge a more permanent relationship with their engineering firm can enjoy a range of time and cost-saving benefits.

“You need high-quality engineering behind you to ensure you get all your permits through your Authority-Having Jurisdictions. You also need people who can talk to the DEQ or EPA in their own language,” Burkhart says. “If you’re a Doman partner, we don’t just handle the install and go home. We’re there to review contracts. We’re there during early development, during construction, and during regulatory compliance and due diligence. We go to bat for our clients before, during, and after the project is done because we know how to talk to regulators.”

From One Solar Project to the Next

At this point, there is simply no denying that solar, utility-scale or otherwise, will only further integrate itself into our national power grid. Doman and other companies already see more and more clients “front-loading” solar into their new construction projects than ever before. This is great news for the environment as well as for the industry as a whole.

“These firms come to us long before they’ve broken ground because they want solar to be part of the project from the get-go,” Burkhart says. “They might have an energy-intensive project and want to offset that energy consumption by building a solar facility alongside it. We can make that a reality whether it’s attached to the grid or not.”

In a world of environmental pessimism, Burkhart and his team are unrelentingly optimistic about solar’s potential. Like the Popular Mechanics covers of the 50s and 60s, they aren’t afraid to dream of a world where solar and battery technology allows homes, businesses, and entire communities to access vast supplies of green energy. However, unlike the articles in those mid-century magazines, Doman has an actionable plan to get us there faster – and more affordably - than expected.