INVESTOR BRIEFING · APRIL 2026 · CONFIDENTIAL
We built the automated infrastructure to replace the manual middleman — connecting utility companies and field technicians through a single AI-native platform that turns a 20-day workflow into a same-day one.
Not familiar with the energy industry? Toggle Explain Simply in the top-right — every industry term swaps to plain language instantly.
THE INDUSTRY
Click each node to understand the role it plays — and where we fit.
THE PROBLEM
This is the real lifecycle of a single LED lighting upgrade at a small business today.
THE ECONOMICS
Utilities and their regulators measure program efficiency in cost per kWh savedcost to save one unit of electricity. This is the number on their regulatory filings.
At 3,500 MWhmegawatt-hours/year — a typical rural co-op program target — cutting delivery cost from 6¢ to 2¢ saves the utility $140,000 per year on that single program. The platform pays for itself.
Sources: ACEEE (Cohn, 2021) · Murphy & Frick, Energies vol. 16 (2023) · Berkeley Lab Cost of Saving Energy Database. Large IOU median: 2.4¢/kWh total program cost. Rural co-op premium estimated 2–3× based on documented scale diseconomies. Platform figure is a target projection based on delivery-only cost modeling.
THE SOLUTION
The platform's core engine evaluates every submitted project against program rules and TRM calculations automatically, then routes it to the fastest possible resolution path. No application sits in an inbox waiting for a human to open it.
THE CORE ENGINE
Every state has a Technical Reference Manual (TRM)official savings rulebook with approved savings formulas. Field technicians currently look these up by hand in PDFs and punch them into Excel. The calculator below runs the same math automatically — and logs a full audit trail for every project.
This is the exact formula used in state Technical Reference Manuals for commercial lighting projects. Adjust the inputs and watch the savings calculate in real time.
Formula (TRM: Deemed Savings, LED Lighting, Commercial):
Gross kWh = (W_baseline − W_LED) ÷ 1,000 × (Daily Hours × 365) × Quantity × ISR
Default values: Baseline wattage from TRM lamp type table · ISR = 0.93 (In-Service Rate, NEEP regional default)
CO₂: kWh × 0.386 lbs/kWh (EPA eGRID US average) ÷ 2,000 lbs/ton
Rebate: kWh × $0.08/kWh (typical utility incentive rate)
On the platform, every project logs the TRM version, the section cited, all inputs, and the full calculation — exportable as a PDF for any PUC spot audit.
FIELD TECHNOLOGY
What used to take 3–6 hours of post-visit writing is done before the technician gets back to their truck. Four inputs go in. A professional, PUC-ready audit report comes out.
Facility: Smith's Auto Repair, 1240 Main St, Bluefield, WV
Date: April 23, 2026 · Auditor: J. Martinez, CEM #20485
Existing Conditions: North wing contains 38 T12 fluorescent fixtures (40W each), original to 1987 construction per building manager. Estimated operating hours 14 hrs/day based on stated facility schedule. HVAC system is a 2011 Carrier 5-ton rooftop unit, currently operational.
Recommended Measure: LED Retrofit — 38 fixtures · Gross savings: 5,418 kWh/yr
TRM Source: Deemed Savings, LED Lighting, Commercial § 4.2.1 (v2026.1)
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
None of the current platforms are AI-native. They were built in the 2000s–2010s. Utilities today cobble together 3–5 separate tools to do what this platform handles end-to-end. Hover or tap a competitor name for details.
| Platform | AI-Native EM&VAuto Savings Calc | Field AI Capture | TRMRulebook Integration | Dual Portal Agents | Mobile-First | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our Platform | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Usage-based |
| CLEAResult ATLAS | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ⚠ | $50–150K/yr |
| Franklin NGAGE | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ⚠ | $50–150K/yr |
| EnergyCAP | ✗ | ✗ | ⚠ | ✗ | ✗ | $5–50K/yr |
| Salesforce E&U | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ⚠ | ✗ | $200K+/yr |
| Spreadsheets + Email | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ~$0 (hidden cost) |
✓ Built-in · ⚠ Partial/add-on · ✗ Not available
MARKET OPPORTUNITY
Total annual US utility energy efficiency program spending across all utility types. Growing at ~4% CAGR as states increase mandated savings targets. Source: ACEEE 2024.
~900 rural electric cooperatives + ~2,000 municipal utilities. Smallest internal staff, least automation, highest overhead-per-kWh. Consistently underserved by large platform vendors. Sources: NRECA, EIA Form 861.
15 co-op programs at $200K/yr. Achievable through direct RFP wins and NRECA pipeline — does not require marketplace scale. Co-ops are the beachhead; the platform carries forward to every tier above.
No incumbent lock-in. High manual overhead. Eager to cut costs. Our competitive moat is deepest here.
Proven co-op EM&V results become the reference. Similar pain points, larger budgets, less regulated procurement.
ComEd alone runs ~$400M/yr under Illinois' CEJA mandate. At 1% platform fee, one contract = $4M/yr. We don't replace their PICs — we become the OS they all run on.
BUSINESS MODEL
Win utility RFPscontracts directly. The platform delivers the work. We keep the margin that currently goes to a manual consulting firm.
First revenue stream. Each win is a reference for the next RFP. The platform pays for itself within the first contract year.
License the platform to existing program managers — CLEAResult, TRC, Franklin Energy. Access their existing book of 100+ utility contracts without winning each individually.
Fastest path to scale. Leverage existing utility relationships. Turns incumbents into distribution partners.
License to large IOUsinvestor-owned utilities and their PIC networks. Charge a platform fee on rebate volume at scale. One ComEd-tier contract changes the trajectory.
Co-op wins create the verified EM&V track record large IOUs require before contracting. The beachhead earns the right to the upmarket move. Think Veeva — started in pharma mid-market, expanded to the top 20 by reputation alone.
THE TEAM
"I managed these programs manually for four years. I watched the same spreadsheet mistakes happen on the same calculations, the same reports rewritten from memory, the same resubmission loops. There was never an automated alternative — not because it was hard to build, but because the incumbents had no incentive to cannibalize their consulting revenue."— Evan Foster
THE ASK
The platform gets built regardless — the question is whether development time is compensated or contributed as sweat equity.
| Legal | |
| SP Contractor Agreement & TOS | $2,500 |
| Recording Consent Framework (11 states) | $2,500 |
| Licensing & Compliance | |
| CEM Exam Renewal (AEE) | $700 |
| SOC 2Security Certification Compliance Tooling — Vanta (12 mo) | $6,000 |
| SOC 2 Readiness Assessment (CPA firm) | $7,500 |
| SOC 2 Type II Audit | $20,000 |
| Professional Liability Insurance (yr 1) | $4,500 |
| Infrastructure & Operations | |
| AWS Infrastructure (12 mo) | $3,600 |
| AI API Costs — OpenAI/Anthropic (12 mo) | $7,200 |
| Business Development | |
| NRECA Conference — registration & travel | $4,500 |
| Business Formation & Admin | $1,000 |
| Total Hard Costs | $60,000 |
| Phase 1 — Security, TRM engine, field app, MVP portals | 540h · $54,000 |
| Phase 2 — Payments, AI agents, QC workflow, reporting | 410h · $41,000 |
| Phase 3 — Marketplace, multi-tenancy, 50-state TRM | 360h · $36,000 |
Development represents Evan's time and is offered as sweat equity. The cash ask is $60,000 — the hard cost line items to the left.
Let's Talk →hello@evanslist.tech