Novel Energy Solutions
Novel Energy Solutions is a vertically-integrated solar EPC and long-term asset owner based in Minnesota, designing, installing, and operating on-site solar arrays, community solar gardens, and energy efficiency solutions for residential, commercial, government, non-profit, and agricultural customers across more than ten US states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersSaint Paul, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Novel Energy Solutions does
Novel Energy Solutions LLC is a vertically-integrated solar energy developer and long-term asset owner headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota. Founded in 2012 by Cliff Kaehler alongside his parents Ralph and Mena Kaehler on the family's 130-year-old farm in Saint Charles, MN, the company (formerly Minnesota Community Solar) provides solar photovoltaic design, installation, financing, and operations & maintenance to residential, commercial, non-profit, government, and agricultural customers across more than ten US states. Its core offerings include On-Site Solar (rooftop, ground-mounted, and canopy installations), Community Solar Gardens (CSGs) — off-site arrays that generate utility bill credits for subscribers without requiring panels on their property — Energy Efficiency Services (LED conversion, building automation, HVAC), and a Land Lease program for landowners hosting CSG arrays; the Join Solar sub-brand operates a self-service enrollment platform for CSG subscribers.
The company differentiates on a vertically-integrated EPC model with in-house development, civil/electrical design, engineering, procurement, construction crews, financing, subscriber acquisition, and O&M, supplemented by a programmatic tax-equity partnership with REA that removes aggregation minimums typically required by the market. Novel finances 100% of project costs with no upfront payment to customers and earns revenue from three primary streams: (1) long-term ownership and energy sales/subscription bill credits from CSGs and on-site arrays, (2) land lease payments from host farmers and landowners (typically 25-year minimum), and (3) EPC professional services revenue in joint projects with developer partners such as EDF Renewables. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales for institutional and government clients, utility-channel partnerships (notably Xcel Energy in Minnesota since 2017 and Versant Power in Maine from 2021) that gate CSG subscriber pools to utility account holders, and the self-serve Join Solar platform for residential and SMB subscribers.
The business has scaled to 200+ MW of completed solar projects (36.8 MW installed in 2021 alone), 251-500 employees, #1 ranking in Minnesota and #11 nationally on Solar Power World's 2022 Top Solar Contractors list, and closed a $130 million growth-equity round led by Catalina Energy Capital in December 2024.
Novel Energy Solutions firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Novel Energy Solutions
- Legal name
- Novel Energy Solutions LLC
- Website
- https://novelenergy.biz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Novel Energy Solutions is a vertically-integrated solar EPC and long-term asset owner based in Minnesota, designing, installing, and operating on-site solar arrays, community solar gardens, and energy efficiency solutions for residential, commercial, government, non-profit, and agricultural customers across more than ten US states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Novel Energy Solutions industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Solar Energy Services
- NAICS
- Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Generation (22111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Asset Management & Owner’s Engineering (Lifecycle Strategy, Budgeting, Technical Due Diligence) (EUAMAGAJ), Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ)
Keywords
Where Novel Energy Solutions is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Paul
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Novel Energy Solutions business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Community Solar Garden Subscriptions: Monthly subscription fees from customers subscribing to community solar gardens. Customers pay a portion of their bill credits to NES for building, maintaining, and monitoring the CSG. Revenue is recurring based on electricity generation credits.
- On-Site Solar Installation and Ownership: NES designs, installs, maintains, and owns solar arrays on customer properties. Customers receive power at negotiated rates and can sell excess to utilities. Revenue comes from energy production and sales to customers and utilities.
- Land Lease Agreements: NES leases or buys suitable land from landowners to build community solar gardens. Landowners receive guaranteed income for at least 25 years while also benefiting as subscribers to the CSG.
- EPC Services for Partners: Engineering, procurement, and construction services provided in partnership with other developers like EDF Renewables. NES provides project management, electrical and civil crews for joint EPC functions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Community Solar Garden Subscription - Zero Down, Risk-Free |
| Subscription | Monthly | Own a Solar Garden - Zero Upfront Cost |
| Subscription | Annual | Land Lease for Community Solar Garden |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Novel Energy Solutions product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Novel Energy Solutions is a vertically-integrated solar EPC contractor and long-term solar asset owner that designs, finances, installs, owns, and maintains solar energy systems. Core offerings include on-site solar installations (rooftop, ground-mounted, or canopy) and community solar garden (CSG) subscriptions through which customers receive bill credits from partnering utilities such as Xcel Energy and Versant Power. The company also provides energy efficiency upgrades and leases land from farmers and landowners for renewable energy development.
Product overview
Novel Energy Solutions is a vertically-integrated solar EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) and long-term owner offering multiple interconnected solar energy products and services. The core offerings include On-Site Solar installations (rooftop, ground-mounted, or canopy solar arrays) and Community Solar Garden (CSG) subscriptions, both enabling customers to access solar energy without upfront costs. Supporting products include Energy Efficiency Services (LED conversion, building automation, HVAC improvements) and Lease Property services for landowners. The Join Solar sub-brand provides membership management for CSG subscribers. The company handles financing, design, installation, maintenance, and ongoing operations across the entire product portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Join Solar: A membership program for community solar gardens offering flexible terms and approximately 10-15% savings on energy costs.
Products and services
- On-Site Solar
- Community Solar Garden (CSG)
- Energy Efficiency Services
- Lease Property for Solar Development
- Join Solar Membership
Quantifiable outcome
- 10-15% reduction in electricity costs for community solar subscribers
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Novel Energy Solutions
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Novel Energy Solutions technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Novel Energy Solutions partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Versant PowermajorVersant Power's Maine Public District partnership for community solar garden program covering most of Aroostook County and portions of Penobscot County. Businesses and organizations served by Versant Power are eligible to sign up for community solar gardens.
- EDF RenewablescoreEDF Renewables partnered with Novel Energy to jointly perform EPC functions and installation on 10MW solar projects for Connexus Energy. EDF completed the development stage, then partnered with Novel for project management and electrical/civil installation. Novel and their tax equity partner REA now own the projects long-term.
- Connexus EnergymajorConnexus Energy, Minnesota's largest electric cooperative serving over 138,000 members, partnered with Novel for 10MW solar projects in Stanford Township and Baldwin Township. Projects doubled Connexus's solar generation and incorporate highest technologies.
- Xcel EnergycorePartnership with Xcel Energy for community solar garden program. Customers must be Xcel Energy account holders to subscribe to community solar gardens. Xcel provides bill credits to subscribers for electricity generated by their portion of the CSG.
- Northfield Area Community SolarminorCommunity partner helping raise awareness and provide education about solar energy for the Northfield Community Solar Garden project.
- Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association (MnSEIA)minorNovel is a long-time member of MnSEIA. CEO Cliff Kaehler serves on the MnSEIA Board. Novel worked with MnSEIA (where David Shaffer formerly served as Executive Director) to achieve important policy wins for solar in Minnesota.
- Illinois Shines ProgramminorIllinois state incentive program encouraging solar installations. Novel received an Illinois Shines award to install the Belle Valley School solar project.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Novel Energy Solutions competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pivot Energy: Pivot Energy is a national community solar developer and EPC focused on subscription-based CSG programs across multiple states. It is one of the closest direct competitors to NES's community solar garden model.
- SunShare: SunShare is a community solar specialist offering subscription-based solar garden access to residential and commercial customers, directly overlapping with NES's Join Solar offering and customer segments.
- Nautilus Solar Energy: Nautilus Solar is a community solar developer and owner/operator with utility partnerships across multiple states. It mirrors NES's vertically-integrated CSG development, ownership, and subscription model.
- Forefront Power: Forefront Power develops, owns, and operates community solar, school solar, and distributed generation projects nationwide, directly competing with NES in the on-site and CSG commercial/government segments.
- Borrego Solar: Borrego Solar is a vertically-integrated solar EPC and developer focused on commercial, industrial, and community solar projects, with comparable customer segments (agriculture, education, municipalities) to NES.
- BlueWave Solar: BlueWave Solar develops community solar and commercial/industrial solar projects primarily in the Northeast and Midwest, with overlapping utility and developer partnerships similar to NES.
Emerging players
- Catalyze: Catalyze is a distributed energy and solar developer focused on behind-the-meter and community solar for commercial, multifamily, and industrial customers, intersecting with NES's on-site and CSG portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- Sunrun: Sunrun is the largest U.S. residential solar installer with nationwide operations. While NES's residential focus is community solar gardens, Sunrun represents the broad incumbent against which NES competes for homeowner customers and policy attention.
- EDF Renewables: EDF Renewables is a global utility-scale and distributed solar developer. EDF is both a NES EPC partner (Connexus projects) and a broad incumbent competing for utility-scale and CSG development opportunities in the same regions.
- Tesla Energy: Tesla Energy offers residential and commercial solar, solar roofs, and energy storage across the U.S. Its broad portfolio and national brand compete with NES for on-site commercial and residential solar customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Novel Energy Solutions social profiles
Digital presenceNovel Energy Solutions financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Novel Energy Solutions leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Novel Energy Solutions funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Novel Energy Solutions M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Novel Energy Solutions
What does Novel Energy Solutions do?
Novel Energy Solutions is a vertically-integrated solar EPC contractor and long-term solar asset owner that designs, finances, installs, owns, and maintains solar energy systems. Core offerings include on-site solar installations (rooftop, ground-mounted, or canopy) and community solar garden (CSG) subscriptions through which customers receive bill credits from partnering utilities such as Xcel Energy and Versant Power. The company also provides energy efficiency upgrades and leases land from farmers and landowners for renewable energy development.
Is Novel Energy Solutions a public or private company?
Novel Energy Solutions is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Novel Energy Solutions founded?
Novel Energy Solutions was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Novel Energy Solutions based?
Novel Energy Solutions is headquartered in Saint Paul, United States, in the North America region.
How does Novel Energy Solutions make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Community Solar Garden Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are on-Site Solar Installation and Ownership, land Lease Agreements and EPC Services for Partners.
Who are Novel Energy Solutions's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pivot Energy, SunShare, Nautilus Solar Energy, Forefront Power, Borrego Solar and BlueWave Solar. Catalyze is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Sunrun, EDF Renewables and Tesla Energy.
Does Novel Energy Solutions have an API?
No public API is recorded for Novel Energy Solutions.
What industry is Novel Energy Solutions in?
Novel Energy Solutions's product category is Solar Energy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMABAB, Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System), with a secondary code of EUAMAGAJ, Asset Management & Owner’s Engineering (Lifecycle Strategy, Budgeting, Technical Due Diligence). Its NAICS code is 221114.