Service 03 · Procurement · Owner-side, Fee-only

We don't sell modules. We make sure yours work.

Most "solar procurement" you'll find online is one of four things: a distributor moving inventory, an EPC bundling components into a margin, a buying co-op aggregating volume, or a SaaS tool tracking purchase orders after the fact. CPES is none of those. We are the owner's procurement team, sitting between your capital stack and the supply chain, with no vendor commissions, no inventory exposure, and no scope to defend.

vs distributors

No inventory on our balance sheet.

We don't move boxes. We design the bid, run the competition, and award to the supplier whose terms protect your tax equity, not ours.

vs EPC contractors

No component to defend.

An EPC's procurement function exists to protect their margin. Ours exists to make sure their margin is the only one in the stack.

vs buying co-ops

Project economics, not pooled discounts.

Aggregation works for off-the-shelf gear at residential scale. At utility scale, the wins come from spec discipline, trade structuring, and ITC adders.

vs SaaS spend tools

Decisions, not dashboards.

Software tracks what you bought after the fact. We sit in the room when the decision gets made and own the outcome on price, schedule, and bankability.

Seven workstreams. One owner-side P&L.

Each workstream has named deliverables, defined gates, and a direct line to your tax equity counsel and lender.
01
BOM and spec engineering

We define what gets bought before anyone gets asked to bid. Module class, inverter topology, tracker selection, BOS components, balance of plant. Bankable specs, not vendor-friendly ones.

You get: technical specification package, BOM with quantities and tolerances, vendor short list with rationale.
02
Vendor financial diligence

The 2024 module manufacturer bankruptcies were not surprises if you read the financials. We screen tier 1 status, audited statements, capacity utilization, customer concentration, and warranty backstops before a vendor reaches a short list.

You get: vendor diligence memos, bankability scorecards, manufacturer warranty risk assessment.
03
RFQ and bid management

Multi-vendor competitive process with apples-to-apples scoring. We design the RFQ, manage clarifications, normalize bids on a common basis, and document award rationale to a standard tax equity will accept.

You get: RFQ documents, bid evaluation matrix, award recommendation memo, full procurement audit trail.
04
Trade compliance and UFLPA

Module-level traceability documentation, polysilicon source mapping, AD/CVD exposure analysis, Section 201 and 301 tariff modeling. The point is to land your modules at port and clear customs without a hold notice.

You get: UFLPA documentation package, customs strategy memo, tariff sensitivity analysis.
05
Supply contract negotiation

Liquidated damages, performance warranties, manufacturer guarantees, change-order discipline, payment milestones, security packages. We negotiate the procurement contract that the lender and tax equity will fund against, not the one the vendor's standard form proposes.

You get: negotiated supply agreement, redline log, term sheet to definitive comparison.
06
Logistics and safe-harbor strategy

Port of entry selection, freight forwarder management, warehousing, and the 5% safe-harbor rule for ITC qualification. Timing matters: the wrong delivery window can cost you a vintage of incentives.

You get: logistics plan, safe-harbor memo, ITC vintage strategy aligned to construction schedule.
07
Domestic content optimization

The 10 percent ITC adder under the IRA is real money, but only if your BOM clears the manufactured product threshold and the steel and iron rules. We structure the procurement plan to capture the adder before bids go out, not after award.

You get: domestic content compliance memo, BOM tagged by category, IRS Form 7207 supporting documentation.

Procurement Decision Gates · Sub-flow within DG3

DG3.1
Spec lock
Bankable BOM and technical specification approved by lender's IE.
DG3.2
Award
Supplier selected on common-basis bid evaluation, audit trail complete.
DG3.3
Contract execution
Supply agreement signed with lender-approved security and warranty package.
DG3.4
Safe-harbor lock
5% spent or physical work test cleared, ITC vintage secured.

What sits on your desk when we're done.

Procurement output that holds up under tax equity diligence, lender's IE review, and IRS substantiation. No black boxes, no proprietary methodology behind a paywall.

  • Technical specification and BOM Module, inverter, tracker, BOS, balance of plant. Quantities, tolerances, acceptance criteria.
  • Vendor diligence package Tier 1 status, financial health, capacity, warranty backstop analysis.
  • RFQ document and bid evaluation matrix Common-basis scoring, normalized pricing, award recommendation memo.
  • Negotiated supply agreement LDs, performance warranties, payment terms, security package, change-order discipline.
  • UFLPA and trade compliance file Polysilicon traceability, AD/CVD position, customs strategy.
  • Safe-harbor and ITC vintage memo 5% test or physical work documentation, alignment to construction start.
  • Domestic content compliance package BOM tagged by manufactured product and steel and iron categories, Form 7207 support.

Have a project at FNTP or close to it?

Initial procurement scoping calls are complimentary. Conflict cleared on engagement.

Start a procurement scope →