Solar Consulting: Your Solar Owner Rep.
How GAIA Supports Owners
As your Solar Owner Rep, we play a crucial role in analyzing solar size and battery requirements, coordinating solar installation vendors, avoiding pitfalls, and reducing risk. Our expertise ensures owners get the best rates and maximize the value of solar and storage.
We are your:
✓ Advocate
✓ Knowledgeable Advisor
✓ Project Coordinator
GAIA has created 4 pathways to help owners meet solar and battery storage requirements and determine the best solution for the highest return:
Pathway 1 for California projects required to meet solar and battery code
Pathway 2 for individual projects with under 500kW of solar
Pathway 3 for individual projects with over 500kW of solar
Pathway 4 for portfolio-wide solar
Pathway 1 for California Projects
Pathway 1 ensures commercial buildings meet California’s Title 24 solar and battery requirements efficiently by reducing solar system size and avoiding unnecessary battery storage.
We handle the complexities so you don’t have to.
Did you know? Solar is required for your Certificate of Occupancy.
In California, large-scale commercial buildings must install solar to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy under Title 24 and CALGreen regulations. Without compliance, your building cannot legally operate.
How GAIA helps you meet Title 24—without overspending:
✅ Our performance-based energy model can minimize system size and eliminate unnecessary battery storage.
✅ We handle Title 24 documentation and permit-ready solar design so your project stays on schedule.
✅ We oversee solar contractors and verify installation to ensure a successful approval process.
GAIA helps clients save $150,000—$300,000 on their projects with our Pathway 1 service.
— Ryan McEvoy, Principal at GAIA
California Projects
Avoid overbuilding your solar system — and overpaying for batteries you may not need.
Pathway 2 for Solar Systems under 500kW
Pathway 2 is for single projects across the U.S. that are installing solar to meet regulations, increase LEED points, or other sustainability goals.
How GAIA supports seamless solar installation:
✅ Goal Setting, Assessment & Analysis: We support the owner in establishing goals, and assessing energy load, solar size, design specs, and equipment. Then we provide a rough order of magnitude (ROM) for the solar layout.
✅ Coordinate Qualified Contractor: We create a standardized bid package, manage the RFP process, evaluate bid responses, and support the vendor selection process.
✅ Bid Award, Installation & Operation Support: We review contracts, verify schedules, coordinate subcontractors, audit installation, ensure inspector sign-off, verify performance, and provide energy and carbon savings graphics.
Pathway 3 for Solar Systems over 500kW
Pathway 3 is for single projects with solar system sizes above 500 kW. GAIA releases a request for proposal (RFP) to help you find the best-fit vendor.
This pathway provides owners with access to power purchase agreements (PPAs).
How GAIA supports seamless solar installation:
✅ Goal Setting, Project & Data Point Review: Support owner to establish goals and review projects for feasibility.
✅ Evaluate Programs that Meet Goals: Identify feasible programs for deploying renewables including behind-the-meter (BTM) and front-of-the-meter (FTM) / community solar programs. GAIA helps guide financing options such as a power purchase agreement (PP vs. cash.
✅ Downsample Projects that Meet Goals: Assess roof design and specifications, electrical room and equipment design, and proposed switchgear and capability of the current design.
Pathway 4 for Portfolio-Wide Solar.
Pathway 4 starts by evaluating multiple sites to prioritize those with the greatest potential for solar integration, based on energy needs and goals.
GAIA coordinates a request for proposal (RFP) to help you find the best-fit vendor.
GAIA’s Approach:
✅ Goal Setting, Portfolio & Data Point Review: Support owner to establish goals, review existing portfolio and new construction projects for feasibility.
✅ Evaluate Programs that Meet Goals: Identify feasible programs for deploying renewables, including behind the meter (BTM) and front of the meter (FTM) / community solar.
✅ Downsample Projects that Meet Goals: Assess roof design and specifications, electrical room and equipment design, and proposed switchgear and capability of the current design.
✅ Tranche Projects for RFP Release Schedule: Select projects based on location, timing and feasibility for solicitations.
