The DER Screening Playbook
A practical guide to qualifying distributed energy opportunities before committing engineering, development, or capital resources.
Why Disciplined DER Screening Matters
Distributed energy opportunities are relatively easy to identify. The harder part is determining which opportunities are strong enough to justify deeper engineering, provider engagement, financing, and capital allocation.
This guide shows how to build a more structured screening process so teams can compare technologies, understand the main value drivers, identify weak assumptions, and focus resources on the opportunities most likely to advance.
Better screening creates a clearer investment decision before significant time and resources are committed.
What You’ll Learn
Start With the Investment Question
Define what the site is actually trying to achieve before selecting technology.
Build the Information Foundation
Understand the load, tariff, site, market, reliability, and contractual context.
Compare DER Pathways
Evaluate solar, battery storage, generation, and hybrid configurations under one framework.
Use a Repeatable Screening Workflow
Create a structured process that makes assumptions and value drivers visible.
Avoid Common Evaluation Mistakes
Recognize where projects often become overstated, underspecified, or prematurely advanced.
Move From Screen to Decision
Determine whether an opportunity should advance, pause, be reconfigured, or stop.
Built for Teams Evaluating Distributed Energy Opportunities
Energy Consultants & Brokers
Qualify opportunities across customers and sites before committing to deeper analysis.
Commercial & Industrial Energy Teams
Build a clearer understanding of site-level distributed energy options.
Developers & ESCOs
Prioritize stronger opportunities before detailed development and engineering work begins.
Energy Suppliers & Strategic Partners
Identify ways distributed energy can expand value beyond commodity procurement.
Download The DER Screening Playbook
Get the practical framework for qualifying distributed energy opportunities before committing significant engineering, development, or capital resources.
