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Writer's pictureDaniela Ramirez

Solar Searcher: A Day in the Life of a Business Development Analyst


In the following blog, you’ll get a glimpse into the early stages of the business development (BD) cycle that powers AC Power’s success. But before we dive in, take a moment to picture a brownfield.


Now, what does your imagined brownfield look like? Is it brown, blue, yellow, green? Is it a field, a patch of sand, or a concrete structure? If any form of anthropogenic change came to your mind, you're more than likely correct in your perception of a brownfield. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides a definition that takes a relatively broad stance, while state administrations adopt more narrow approaches to align with state-specific goals and priorities.


Prior to starting my role at AC Power as an analyst, I had few thoughts (if any) about how much a brownfield could do for me. In my mind, the value of land was contingent on the property that stood on top of it — a strip mall, an apartment complex or a restaurant. However, abandoned land that has seemingly already lived its “valuable life” can still serve our communities.


This land has not been forgotten by AC Power. We see a future where brownfields are revitalized with renewable energy. A solar panel doesn’t hold a grudge against a land's past; regardless of its previous residents, a single solar array still wants a spot on your blighted brownfield.


I know this because I’m the one who evaluates it. 


My role as an analyst at AC Power has encouraged me to think differently about land that others wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. With the support and guidance of the BD team, AC Power approaches this land thoughtfully and strategically, giving it a new purpose. Part of our job is to determine upfront whether the land itself has the capacity to hold a solar array and can successfully support a community solar project. Every site that comes through gets the same level of respect in going through the BD process to determine the fate of its life.


A solar panel doesn’t hold a grudge against a land's past; regardless of its previous residents, a single solar array still wants a spot on your blighted brownfield.

At AC Power, solar projects go through two preliminary levels of screening to ensure that the project will succeed. The first is the BD process and the second is the Project Development (PD) process. I have highlighted five key factors that I consider as a BD analyst before the site can move forward to the PD process.


1. Policy

As an analyst, I stay on top of the policy incentives presented by each state that promote the use of solar energy within their communities. Policies in states such as Illinois, New York, Maryland, and New Jersey have paved a road for AC Power to bring clean, discounted energy to local communities. These frameworks inform the states we focus on in order to ensure success for all of our stakeholders. See Isadora’s blog “What Illinois gets right about solar: 5 lessons for the nation” to learn more about policy in Illinois!


2. Site Screening

Since day one at AC Power, I’ve screened sites. Constellations of flood maps, ITC adder communities, and financial models take over the ethereal white of my screen as I check the sites characteristics, looking for markers of viability. Our analysis constantly evolves as we come to understand each site’s individual background. Adapting to this was the steepest initial learning curve. We always want to do our best to make a site work without filling our development pipeline with nonviable projects. I am often encouraged look at the physical features of a site that may affect the project's future, such as wetland concerns, topography, and developable area. These traits may result in varying setbacks that we want to be conservative about from the start. When a site gets approved to move forward, the progression implies a mountain of precautionary reviews to take place in the near future.


3. Financials

Research and policy are important in understanding the economic offerings we can extend to our partners. All costs and potential incentives are taken into consideration during this stage to provide the best possible rates for all parties involved. Every model will factor in energy rates, ITC adders, and labor costs when structuring an offer. It is important for us to be as transparent as possible with our teammates and clients about where this number comes from and how it can benefit our investors, our landowners, and the utilities involved.


4. Communication

As a close-knit team with constant cross collaboration, it is important for us to nourish all external relationships, with an understanding that there is always something new to be learned from each project and each partner. Emails back and forth, phone calls, meetings, and time dedicated to understanding a site's history are all part of this process. Sharing a proposal with a landowner can often be one of the most rewarding parts the process after gauging interest. This is our opportunity to showcase all of AC Power’s past accomplishments while building trust between the two parties.


5. Site Exclusivity

Once we’ve checked all these boxes, the last step before passing the project on to the next phase of development will be negotiating an agreement. Our legal team gets looped in at this time where a new relationship is formed, and the next phase of co-collaboration takes place. This marks the true start of our collaboration and signals to our partners that we are moving forward together.


My work requires curiosity, critical thinking, patience, and attention to detail. Consistent teamwork is a given at AC Power, as we all work in tandem to follow through on the company’s mission: “to reenergize communities, one brownfield at a time”. A day in the life of an analyst at AC Power is a rewarding experience that allows our team to ring the bell at the end of a long day and alarm the world of another successful solar story.

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