Your guide to the Lumen journey

Welcome to our guide on the Lumen journey! In this article, we provide an overview of what to expect as you work with Lumen Energy to ensure that you get the most out of our product. Whether you're a new customer or a returning one, this guide will help you navigate through the complex world of solar with ease. So, let's dive in and discover how you can make the most of your experience with our product!

Estimate

During the Estimate phase, you’ll receive a preliminary analysis on your properties to identify the economic potential of solar. It incorporates forecasted energy consumption data, in partnership with national labs like NREL (National Renewable Energy Lab), as well as building data (roof size, use type), incentive data (federal, state, ITC adders), technology performance & cost data (solar and storage hardware costs, regional labor costs) and more to generate a unique financial model for solar at that property. You’ll also receive the hourly CO2 reduction potential from solar, based on data from the US EPA’s AVERT program. This analysis allows you to sort and rank properties across your portfolio and focus on the properties with the highest potential. This analysis is typically available to you in a matter of days once you begin your partnership with Lumen.

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Evaluate

During the Evaluate phase, you’ll typically focus on the properties of interest based on the prior analysis in the Estimate phase. You will provide the Lumen team with historical energy data — ideally 15 minute interval data, or utility bills for the past 12 months — roof age information, and metering set up. You’ll also provide guidance on any unique property considerations the solar design should accommodate, and whether carport solar might be a fit for the property. Lumen will then refine the analysis to produce an investment grade financial analysis for solar at the property. If the results meet your decision criteria, the Lumen team can work with you to move forward on a self-financed or third-party financed (Power Purchase Agreement or ”PPA”) option. This analysis can take as little as 2 days, or a few weeks, depending on the number of properties you are processing at the same time.

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Bid

During the bid phase, you will work with Lumen to finalize the RFP package and scoring criteria, and connect Lumen with a dedicated point of contact (POC) for the property. Lumen will open up our RFP process by inviting EPC vendors (Engineering, Procurement & Construction solar firms) within our network to review and bid on the project. Any existing or preferred EPC vendors you have in place can also be included in the process. Lumen will work with our POC to facilitate two site visit dates, following which the EPCs will submit binding bids. Finally, Lumen will level and score these bids within our software, and you will choose the bid you want to move forward with. You will move into deployment by signing a contract with the chosen EPC. This phase typically takes about 30-45 days.

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Permit

The permitting process is largely run by the EPC. The EPC will secure Building Permits and permission for Electric Utility Interconnection. You and the EPC will communicate directly throughout this process, and the Lumen team will be available to support as required. This stage ends when the permits are received and you provide the EPC with Notice to Proceed or “NTP” — meaning that the agreements and financing required for this project are secured. This phase typically takes 3-6 months, depending on the utility and time required to receive permits.

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Construct

The EPC will build out the solar system according to the design specifications. There will be a final engineering inspection, testing and commissioning, following which the asset is placed into service and receives permission to operate or “PTO”. This process typically takes 2-4 months, depending on the complexity of the project.

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Operate

Congratulations! Your solar asset is now producing clean energy from the sun! Lumen’s Shine product tracks your asset’s performance and ESG metrics. You will partner with your chosen operations and maintenance (”O&M”) provider for ongoing maintenance needs.

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