Every stage of an asset’s life, one accountable team.

What we do at each stage, who we do it for, and the testing behind every finding.

Discuss an asset

Jump to a stage

  1. 01Evaluate
  2. 02Engineer
  3. 03Permit
  4. 04Oversee
  5. 05Commission
  6. 06Operate

Where We Engage

  1. 01

    Evaluate & Diagnose

    • Site and technical evaluation
    • Production modeling and loss analysis
    • Utility program and incentive review

    Who Engages Here

    • IPP & Asset Owners
      Acquisition, entitlement and portfolio due diligence; Condition, degradation and remaining-life analysis; CAPEX / OPEX validation and reserve modeling; Production reconciliation against the pro forma (P50/P90, PVsyst, etc.)
    • Lenders & Tax Equity
      Independent engineering (IE) review at financing; Energy yield review (PVsyst validation, P50/P90); Equipment and supplier bankability review; Budget and contingency review
    • Developers & Sponsors
      EPC, PPA and lease technical terms review; Site and technical feasibility; Production modeling; Utility program and incentive review
    • Insurers, Brokers & Counsel
      Pre-bind risk engineering and site surveys; Loss control recommendations; Energy plant fire risk review
  2. 02

    Engineer & Analyze

    • Plan reviews: 30/60/90%, IFP, IFC
    • P.E.-stamped electrical and structural
    • Storage and microgrid integration

    Who Engages Here

    • IPP & Asset Owners
      Plan set and design-basis review for owner-procured projects (30/60/90%, IFP, IFC); Equipment specification and submittal review; Storage and microgrid integration studies
    • Lenders & Tax Equity
      EPC and PPA guarantee, LD and exhibit mechanics; IFC plan set and design-basis review
    • Developers & Sponsors
      Plan set reviews: 30/60/90%, IFP, IFC, as-built; Constructability and code review; P.E.-stamped plan sets; Storage and microgrid integration studies; Contractor submittal reviews for the owner
    • Insurers, Brokers & Counsel
      Design review for fire and loss risk on insured projects; Design review against industry standards for defect claims
  3. 03

    Permit & Interconnect

    • Entitlement and permitting
    • Utility interconnection and PTO
    • Federal, state and AHJ compliance

    Who Engages Here

    • IPP & Asset Owners
      Interconnection and PTO support for repowers and retrofits; IRA prevailing wage and ITC recapture records review
    • Lenders & Tax Equity
      Entitlement, permit and interconnection diligence; Safe harbor and BOC records review; IRA prevailing wage and apprenticeship records review
    • Developers & Sponsors
      Entitlement, permitting and interconnection risk and processing; Interconnection application and utility coordination; Safe harbor and BOC records review
    • Insurers, Brokers & Counsel
      Code and permit compliance review for defect and coverage disputes
  4. 04

    Construction Oversight

    • Construction monitoring and QA/QC
    • Payment voucher and draw certification
    • As-built, closeout and safety audit

    Who Engages Here

    • IPP & Asset Owners
      Owner’s rep over the contractor on repower, retrofit and repair projects; Construction monitoring and QA/QC; Contractor payment application review
    • Lenders & Tax Equity
      Construction monitoring and progress checks; Payment voucher, SOV and draw certification; Change order and schedule review; Stored-materials and equipment delivery verification
    • Developers & Sponsors
      Owner’s rep and independent EPC / GC oversight; Payment application review and draw sign-off; QA/QC inspections and hold-point witnessing; Change order review; Safety audits
    • Insurers, Brokers & Counsel
      Builder’s risk loss assessment during construction; Workmanship and installation defect investigation
  5. 05

    Commission & Verify

    • Testing, startup and verification
    • Utility inspection and PTO
    • Monitoring setup and handover

    Who Engages Here

    • IPP & Asset Owners
      Commissioning, or sign-off of the contractor’s commissioning documents; Capacity test witness (ASTM E2848); Punch list and closeout verification
    • Lenders & Tax Equity
      Milestone, as-built, completion and PTO checks; Capacity test witness (ASTM E2848); Technical evidence for placed-in-service and funding milestones (tax determination by tax counsel)
    • Developers & Sponsors
      Commissioning, or sign-off of the EPC’s docs; Punch list, closeout and turnover verification; Capacity test witness (ASTM E2848); Plant commissioning and testing processes and procedures; Utility inspection and PTO support
    • Insurers, Brokers & Counsel
      Commissioning record review after a loss; Post-repair testing and return-to-service verification
  6. 06

    Operate & Maintain

    • Preventative and corrective maintenance
    • Remote monitoring and analytics
    • Workmanship repair and repower

    Who Engages Here

    • IPP & Asset Owners
      IV curve tracing, IR thermography and megger testing; Preventative and corrective maintenance, remote monitoring and diagnostics; Workmanship repair of systems built by others; Emergency and corrective repair; inverter, module and BOS replacement; Warranty and OEM claim administration; O&M and PPA contract mechanics; vendor performance; Repower, retrofit, end-of-life planning and decommissioning; Performance ratio and availability reporting; Technical support when an O&M provider departs or an OEM exits; As-is P.E.-stamped plan sets after construction; Regulatory and utility compliance; All proactive and reactive site visit types
    • Lenders & Tax Equity
      Distressed, workout and portfolio surveillance; Operating performance against the base case; Covenant and reserve technical reporting; Annual site inspections; As-is P.E.-stamped plan sets after construction
    • Developers & Sponsors
      Warranty-period inspections before the EPC warranty expires; O&M scope and contract technical review; Technical data room for asset sale
    • Insurers, Brokers & Counsel
      Post-event damage assessment and root cause analysis; Fire, vandalism, theft and defect damage evaluation; Scope-of-loss development and repair cost estimating; Licensed repair execution and claim closeout; Subrogation and recovery technical support; Claims, litigation and expert reporting

Not an exhaustive list. A scope of work is created specific to your project’s needs.

Diagnostic & Test Capability

Findings that hold up with a lender, an insurer or in a dispute are built on instrumented field testing, not desk review. The methods below are performed in-house or under CNES supervision.

Illustrative field annotation

Electrical Testing

Finds the fault, not the symptom.

  • IV curve tracing and string-level testing
  • Insulation resistance (megger)
  • Ground- and arc-fault location
  • Rapid-shutdown and MLPE checks
  • Torque and connector audit

Thermal & Imaging

Sees what the meter and the eye miss.

  • Aerial and handheld IR thermography
  • Electroluminescence (EL) imaging
  • PID and hot-spot classification
  • Combiner and MV scanning
  • Drone survey and digital-twin mapping

Performance Engineering

Proves whether the asset makes its number.

  • PVsyst model validation
  • P50 / P90 production reconciliation
  • Performance ratio and availability
  • Inverter clipping and curtailment
  • Degradation, soiling and loss analysis

Root Cause & Forensics

Establishes why it failed, and who owns it.

  • Root cause analysis (RCA) and failure modes
  • Thermal-event and arc-fault origin
  • Defect classification and warranty claims
  • Evidence and chain of custody
  • Expert reporting for claims and litigation

Commissioning & Startup

Verifies the plant was built to spec.

  • ASTM E2848 capacity test
  • IEC 62446 commissioning verification
  • Functional and integrated testing
  • SCADA and protection settings
  • As-built walk-down and redline check
  • Punch list and turnover checks

Code & Compliance

Confirms the asset is lawful and financeable.

  • NEC 690 / 705 PV wiring
  • IEEE 1547 interconnection
  • NFPA 855 / UL 9540A BESS fire
  • State and AHJ codes (Rule 21, Title 24, etc.)
  • Safe harbor and BOC records
  • IRA wage and ITC recapture

Representative methods. Technical analysis and diagnostics are performed nationally; licensed construction and remediation in California.

Field & Execution

Self-performed or supervised.

Executed by CNES crews under electrical P.E. oversight (28 states) and California B / C-10 licensure. Diagnostics are performed in-house or under CNES supervision.

Documented to standard.

Findings, remediation scope and repair execution delivered as one reportable, auditable package.

Instrumented and resourced.

$250K+ rotating spares inventory, a standardized remote monitoring platform, and a 3-hour dispatch radius.

Qualifications

  • California B (General) and C-10 (Electrical) contractor licenses; LEED AP leadership
  • Professional Engineer (electrical) licensed in 28 states; structural engineering in-house
  • General liability, E&O, auto and umbrella insurance, with values provided per project
  • Standardized remote monitoring platform across all customer sites
  • $250K+ rotating spares inventory; 3-hour dispatch radius across greater Los Angeles
  • Written IIPP and field safety manual; OSHA 30-certified field staff

Technology Experience

  • Solar PV: rooftop, carport, ground
  • Battery energy storage
  • Microgrids & resilience
  • Cogeneration & power systems
  • Power quality & substations

Bring us the asset and the question.

Send the asset and the question. We’ll scope it.

Discuss an asset