Introduction to Clean Energy
Businesses and developers often face a steep learning curve when installing clean energy technologies, such as solar installations and EV chargers. To get a fair deal, they need to navigate a complex bidding process that involves requesting proposals, evaluating bids, and ultimately contracting with a provider.
The Solution: Station A
Station A, a startup founded by a pair of MIT alumni and their colleagues, is streamlining the process of deploying clean energy. The company has developed a marketplace for clean energy that helps real estate owners and businesses analyze properties to calculate returns on clean energy projects, create detailed project listings, collect and compare bids, and select a provider. This platform helps real estate owners and businesses adopt clean energy technologies like solar panels, batteries, and EV chargers at the lowest possible prices, in places with the highest potential to reduce energy costs and emissions.
How Station A Works
The company uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to turn addresses into building footprints and understand their electricity costs, available incentives, and where they can expect the highest return on investment. This process would normally require tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of consulting time, but Station A can do it quickly and at a low cost.
The Founders’ Background
The co-founders of Station A, Manos Saratsis and Kevin Berkemeyer, met while working at the utility NRG Energy after graduating from MIT. Saratsis studied environmental design modeling at MIT, where he used data from sources like satellite imagery to understand how communities consume energy and propose clean energy solutions. Berkemeyer, on the other hand, served as president of the MIT Energy Club and was a research assistant at the MIT Energy Initiative.
Building the Foundation
Saratsis credits his time at MIT with helping him build a strong foundation in clean energy. He says, "My ability to build a thermal energy model and simulate electricity usage in a building started at MIT." Berkemeyer also credits his time at MIT, saying, "Classes in entrepreneurship with professor Bill Aulet and in sustainability with Senior Lecturer Jason Jay were formative."
Growing the Business
Station A has already partnered with some of the largest real estate companies in the country, as well as grocery chains, warehouses, and other businesses to accelerate the clean energy transition. The company has also widened its focus from selling access to its analytics to creating a marketplace for clean energy transactions, helping businesses run the competitive bidding process for clean energy projects.
Success Stories
Today, about 2,500 clean energy developers are active on Station A’s platform. A number of large real estate investment trusts also use its services, in addition to businesses like HP, Nestle, and Goldman Sachs. If Station A were a developer, it would now rank in the top 10 in terms of annual solar deployments.
Conclusion
Station A is making it easier for businesses and real estate owners to adopt clean energy technologies. With its innovative platform and commitment to transparency, the company is helping to accelerate the clean energy transition. As Saratsis says, "Everything we do around building analysis is inspired in some ways by the stuff that I did when I was at MIT." With its strong foundation and growing success, Station A is poised to lead the transformation to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.
