What Donovan Energy does

Donovan Energy is a Cincinnati-based ESG and clean energy advisory and project development company founded in 2016 by Tim Donovan, a former BP global leader. The firm operates across three integrated pillars: energy efficiency consulting, energy efficient buildings (LED lighting retrofits, HVAC optimization, building envelope improvements), and Electric Vehicle infrastructure deployment (site assessment, hardware selection across ChargePoint, Tesla, Blink, JuiceBox, Wallbox, ABB, EVBox and networks including EV Connect and AmpUp). Its core service portfolio also includes ASHRAE-Level II Energy Audits, Energy Efficiency Roadmaps, and complete turnkey project delivery.

A central differentiator is Donovan Energy's deep specialization in C-PACE (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing, facilitated through partnerships with capital providers such as GreenRock Capital. This structure enables 100% project financing repaid through property tax assessments over up to 30 years, addressing the principal capital-constraint barrier to commercial energy upgrades. The firm also offers Lease Financing, Power Purchase Agreements, and IRS Section 179D tax deduction advisory.

Donovan Energy generates revenue primarily through professional services fees (consulting, audits, roadmaps, project management) and transaction-related fees on C-PACE financings and project delivery. It serves enterprise clients across commercial real estate, healthcare, education, municipal/government, hospitality, and nonprofit sectors — marquee customers include the Cincinnati Zoo, TriHealth, UCHealth, Miami University, 3CDC, and the Cincinnati Art Museum. GTM is direct enterprise field sales targeting commercial property owners and developers across Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, and PACE-eligible markets in over 30 states. The team of approximately 18 employees is led by four partners with backgrounds spanning BP, Deloitte, 3CDC, and the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance, supplemented by policy advocacy via PACENation board leadership.

Name

Donovan Energy

Legal name

Donovan Energy, LLC

Website

https://donovanenergy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Donovan Energy is a Cincinnati-based clean energy advisory and project development firm that helps enterprises finance and implement energy efficiency upgrades, EV charging, and renewable projects using PACE and other financing mechanisms across the Midwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Efficiency Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Energy Systems & Power Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK), Renewable Energy Asset Management (Solar/Wind/Hydro/Geothermal) (EUAEAMAB)

Keywords

• Energy efficiency consulting
• PACE financing solutions
• Commercial LED retrofit
• EV charging infrastructure
• Clean energy advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. PACE Financing Facilitation: Facilitates C-PACE transactions for commercial real estate projects, providing financing advisory services and connecting property owners with capital providers like GreenRock Capital. Earns fees for structuring transactions and advising on PACE financing solutions.
2. Energy Consulting Services: Provides comprehensive energy audits, analysis, and strategic planning services to help organizations reduce energy consumption and costs. Services include electricity and gas procurement, sustainability consulting, and corporate energy strategy advisory.
3. Project Development: Turnkey project delivery for energy efficiency upgrades including LED lighting, HVAC improvements, building envelope enhancements, and EV charging infrastructure installation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Donovan Energy is an ESG and energy advisory company that helps commercial building owners, developers, and institutions identify, implement, and finance clean energy solutions. Core offerings include energy efficiency consulting, ASHRAE-Level II energy audits, LED and HVAC retrofits, EV charging infrastructure deployment, and C-PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing facilitation. The firm delivers turnkey project management from audit and roadmap design through installation, financing, and post-project support.

Product overview

Donovan Energy is an ESG and energy advisory company offering a comprehensive suite of clean energy solutions organized around three core pillars: spend less (energy procurement and financing), use less (energy efficiency improvements), and make some (on-site renewable energy production). The company's core offerings include Energy Efficiency Consulting services, Energy Efficient Buildings solutions (including LED Lighting Upgrades), Electric Vehicle Infrastructure deployment, and C-PACE Financing (Property Assessed Clean Energy) as its primary financing mechanism. Supporting services include Energy Audits, Energy Efficiency Roadmaps, Complete Project Delivery, Lease Financing, Power Purchase Agreements, IRS Section 179D tax deduction advisory, and EV Roadmap planning. The company operates primarily in Ohio, Kentucky, and more than 30 other states through its PACE financing program, serving sectors including commercial real estate, healthcare, education, municipal, industrial, non-profit, and parking facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Energy Efficiency Consulting Advisory service helping organizations identify, implement, and finance energy-saving solutions including utility analysis, rate optimization, electricity and gas procurement, sustainability consulting, and strategic energy planning to reduce costs and support ESG goals. Targeted at commercial real estate, healthcare, education, municipal, industrial, and nonprofit clients.
• Energy Efficient Buildings Solutions for improving commercial building energy performance including LED lighting upgrades, HVAC optimization, and building envelope improvements driven by comprehensive energy assessments. Designed for property owners and facility managers seeking to lower operating costs.
• LED Lighting Upgrade Commercial LED lighting retrofit service that replaces inefficient lighting systems with LED technology, achieving significant energy and maintenance cost savings. Notable project: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden reached 100% LED across 87 buildings and 75 acres.
• Electric Vehicle Infrastructure End-to-end EV charging station deployment service including site assessment, hardware selection (ChargePoint, Tesla, Blink, JuiceBox, Wallbox, ABB, EVBox), network configuration (EV Connect, AmpUp), and installation management. Serves commercial properties across retail, hospitality, healthcare, parking, and other sectors.
• C-PACE Financing Facilitation Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) financing advisory that funds 100% of eligible energy project costs for commercial property owners, repaid through property tax assessments over up to 30 years. Covers energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, and resiliency projects; partnered with GreenRock Capital (more than $400 million in C-PACE financings closed) and engaged with PACENation.
• Energy Audit Comprehensive on-site energy assessment measuring current energy usage and loads, analyzing utility bills, reviewing building construction and mechanical equipment, and developing customized recommendations for energy-saving improvements. Includes ASHRAE-Level II audit methodology using Trane Trace software.
• Complete Energy Project Delivery Turnkey project management service handling the entire implementation process from solution design through contractor selection, installation oversight, and post-project marketing support for completed clean energy projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cincinnati Zoo achieved 100% LED lighting across 87 buildings and 75 acres
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Electrify IndianaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2025Hired alongside Donovan Energy by the City of Bloomington to provide technical assistance and community outreach for the Bloomington Energy Works program, funded by a $250,000 Municipal Investment Fund grant.
• PACENationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 August 2022Andy Holzhauser serves on the Board of Directors of PACENation, the national trade association focused on developing the PACE financing marketplace. PACENation provided background support for the Tennessee C-PACE transaction.
• Green UmbrellaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAndy Holzhauser serves as President of the Board of Directors of Green Umbrella, a Greater Cincinnati sustainability organization.
• Indiana Energy Independence FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward recipient of $250,000 Municipal Investment Fund grant that funded the Bloomington Energy Works program, for which Donovan Energy was hired as technical assistance provider.
• City of BloomingtonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity government that launched Bloomington Energy Works program and awarded the Municipal Investment Fund grant to Indiana Energy Independence Fund.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ameresco: Ameresco is a publicly traded, large-scale energy services and renewables company delivering energy efficiency, energy infrastructure, and renewable energy projects across North America; overlaps directly with Donovan Energy's efficiency and renewable advisory/project development work at a much larger scale.
• Enfinity Global (formerly Enel X): Enfinity Global (which absorbed Enel X's North America business) offers distributed energy, energy efficiency, and demand response solutions to commercial and industrial customers; competes in adjacent energy advisory and project delivery segments at global scale.
• Trane Technologies: Trane Technologies manufactures and services HVAC and building energy systems and increasingly delivers integrated energy efficiency and decarbonization services for commercial buildings, directly overlapping Donovan Energy's HVAC and building performance work.
• Siemens Smart Infrastructure: Siemens Smart Infrastructure provides building automation, energy management, and energy services for commercial real estate, competing with Donovan Energy on larger building energy performance and electrification engagements as part of a much broader portfolio.
• ENGIE (formerly OpTerra / ENGIE Impact): ENGIE Impact is the advisory and services arm of global utility ENGIE offering energy efficiency, sustainability, and decarbonization consulting to commercial and institutional customers — competing in the same buyer RFPs as Donovan Energy at enterprise scale.

Direct peers

• Willdan Group: Willdan is a publicly traded professional services firm providing energy engineering, consulting, and program management to utilities, governments, and commercial customers — closely aligned with Donovan Energy's energy audit, consulting, and program delivery practice.
• McKinstry: McKinstry is a national design, build, operate, and maintain ESCO that delivers energy efficiency, facility renewal, and energy infrastructure services to commercial, institutional, and industrial clients — directly comparable to Donovan Energy's end-to-end energy services model.
• PACE Equity: PACE Equity is a direct C-PACE capital provider that finances commercial clean energy and efficiency projects, operating in the same C-PACE ecosystem that Donovan Energy helps structure and source deals for; a peer/partner in the C-PACE financing value chain.
• Counterpointe Energy Solutions: Counterpointe Energy Solutions is a C-PACE capital provider and program administrator facilitating commercial property assessed clean energy financing across multiple states — directly comparable to Donovan Energy's PACE advisory and transaction facilitation business.
• 3 Phases Energy Services: 3 Phases Energy is a regional energy services and ESCO firm providing energy audits, efficiency retrofits, and renewable energy project development to commercial, institutional, and government customers — a close smaller-scale analog to Donovan Energy's service mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DonovanEnergy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@donovanenergy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/donovan-energy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Donovan Energy