What IDeAs Consulting does

IDeAs Consulting Inc. is a Cupertino, California-based electrical engineering design firm founded in June 1999 by David Kaneda as Integrated Design Associates, Inc. The firm specializes exclusively in deep green, high-performance building electrical systems and operates five integrated service lines: Electrification and Sustainability Consulting; Electrical Engineering and Power Distribution; Photovoltaic, Energy Storage and Microgrid Systems; Daylighting and Lighting; and Low Voltage and Technology Systems. Its technical portfolio spans all-electric net zero energy and net zero operational carbon buildings, building-integrated photovoltaics (tile roofs, standing seam metal, facades, louvers), residential and campus-scale PV/battery microgrids (including V2G/V2B studies and off-grid hydrogen fuel cell systems), daylighting analysis using Radiance simulation, EV charging infrastructure, fleet electrification, and circadian lighting design. IDeAs is credited with pioneering the term "net zero energy" in commercial buildings and designed the IDeAs Z Squared Design Facility (2005), the first net zero energy commercial office building in the United States and the first ILFI Certified Zero Net Energy building in the world. The firm has collaborated on 40+ net zero energy buildings, 150+ MW of photovoltaic systems, and 30 MW of battery energy storage, and has won multiple AIA COTE Top 10 Awards, dozens of LEED Platinum certifications, and NBI/LBC certifications.

The company operates a project-based professional services revenue model, with consulting fees tied to design scope and complexity. Its client base is concentrated in four segments: Silicon Valley technology firms (Google Bay View, Microsoft Silicon Valley Campus, YouTube Bayhill, Intuit Marine Way, Clif Bar); educational institutions (Twin Rivers USD, Nueva School, Sonoma Academy, Sequoia High School, Bay School, La Escuelita, Bishop O'Dowd, Columbia College); government and civic facilities (Packard Foundation, Watsonville Water Resource Center, Hayward Library, Aquarium of the Pacific, Hawaii DOE); and high-performance residential (Vai Avenue Residence, Tah Mah Lah, Gish Family Apartments, Mitchell Park Apartments). Go-to-market is sales-led and reputation-driven, anchored by David Kaneda's industry stature (NBI Senior Fellow, former GSA Green Building Advisory Committee chair, 2023 California Clean Energy Hall of Fame honoree), conference and academic lecturing, and deep collaborative partnerships with leading green architecture firms (WRNS Studio, EHDD) and MEP peers (Point Energy Innovations, Ecotope, Alter Consulting Engineers, Redwood Energy, Decarbonization Strategies).

IDeAs joined Integral Group in 2011 to expand delivery capacity, then closed and reopened as an independent firm in September 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic with a renewed focus on industry-leading deep green electrical systems. The firm is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors and operates with a core team of approximately 7 specialists including principals and project engineers. Geographic operations are concentrated in California with selective engagements in Hawaii and other US markets.

Name

IDeAs Consulting

Legal name

IDeAs Consulting Inc.

Website

https://ideas-c.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IDeAs Consulting is a Cupertino-based electrical engineering design firm specializing in deep green, high-performance building systems — including all-electric net zero designs, PV/battery microgrids, daylighting, and fleet electrification — serving technology, education, government, and high-performance residential clients across the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electrical Engineering Consulting for Sustainable Buildings

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Energy Systems & Power Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK), Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

Keywords

• Electrical engineering consulting
• Net zero energy buildings
• Photovoltaic system design
• Battery storage microgrids
• Building electrification consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Cupertino

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electrical Engineering Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for electrical system design including power distribution, lighting, daylighting, photovoltaic systems, battery storage, microgrids, and low voltage systems for buildings. Revenue generated through project-based consulting fees for design services on new construction and renovation projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IDeAs Consulting provides electrical engineering design and consulting services for deep green, high-performance buildings. Offerings center on five interconnected service lines: all-electric and sustainability consulting, electrical engineering and power distribution, photovoltaic/energy storage/microgrid systems, daylighting and lighting design, and low-voltage technology systems. The firm designs net zero energy, all-electric, and resilient building electrical systems spanning commercial, institutional, educational, and residential sectors.

Product overview

IDeAs Consulting is an electrical engineering design firm specializing in deep green, high-performance building electrical systems. The company offers five interconnected consulting service lines: (1) Electrification and Sustainability Consulting for all-electric and net zero building strategies; (2) Electrical Engineering and Power Distribution for power systems design; (3) Photovoltaic, Energy Storage and Microgrid Systems for renewable energy integration; (4) Daylighting and Lighting for illumination design; and (5) Low Voltage and Technology Systems for building technology infrastructure. Together, these services enable the design of net zero energy, all-electric, and resilient building electrical systems across commercial, institutional, educational, and residential sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electrification and Sustainability Consulting Specialist consulting on all-electric building design and existing building electrification strategies, including net zero energy designs, PV/battery microgrids, resilient facilities, and off-grid renewable energy systems. For building owners, developers, and institutions pursuing deep decarbonization.
• Electrical Engineering and Power Distribution Designs power distribution systems from utility connection through to end-user receptacles, including medium voltage distribution, emergency/standby power systems, EV charging infrastructure, and plug load optimization strategies. For commercial, institutional, and residential building projects.
• Photovoltaic, Energy Storage and Microgrid Systems Designs photovoltaic systems ranging from residential to megawatt-scale, building-integrated photovoltaics, battery energy storage systems, and PV/battery microgrids for resilience and grid independence. For commercial, institutional, and residential projects requiring renewable energy integration.
• Daylighting and Lighting Provides architectural lighting design, daylighting analysis using Radiance simulation, lighting controls, photometric calculations, circadian lighting design, and emergency egress lighting systems. For projects pursuing high-performance daylighting and human-centric lighting.
• Low Voltage and Technology Systems Designs telecommunications and data networks, fire detection and alarm systems, access control, intrusion detection, audio/visual systems, and smart building technologies including integrated building controls and EV charging management. For projects requiring robust low-voltage technology infrastructure.

Named customers18 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered secondary and core.

• Decarbonization StrategiessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with Decarbonization Strategies on developing decarbonization strategies for building projects, combining expertise in electrical systems with broader decarbonization consulting.
• Point Energy InnovationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration with Point Energy Innovations, led by Peter Rumsey, on pioneering net zero energy building projects including the original IDeAs headquarters and multiple award-winning projects.
• Alter Consulting EngineerssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks with Alter Consulting Engineers on integrated MEP team projects, combining mechanical and electrical engineering expertise for high-performance buildings.
• EcotopesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with Ecotope on sustainable building projects, combining electrical engineering with mechanical and energy modeling expertise.
• Redwood EnergysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Redwood Energy on decarbonization projects including multi-family housing retrofits and resilient low-income housing projects.
• Prospect Silicon ValleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular collaboration with Prospect Silicon Valley on sustainable building focused initiatives, including school bus electrification studies, virtual power plant programs, and resilient building projects. David Kaneda serves on their Board of Directors.
• New Buildings InstitutesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with New Buildings Institute on zero energy building verification and industry leadership. David Kaneda is a Senior Fellow at NBI.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Integral Group: Integral Group is a global deep-green MEP engineering firm — IDeAs' prior parent from 2011 to 2020. Overlaps directly on net zero electrical design, microgrids, and all-electric buildings for tech and institutional clients, but operates at substantially larger scale and broader service scope (full MEP, multiple offices worldwide).
• Atelier Dreiseitl / Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl: Ramboll Group, including the legacy Dreiseitl/Studio Dreiseitl practice, does water-sensitive urban design and integrated green infrastructure — comparable to IDeAs' work on rainwater catchment, daylighting, and integrated sustainable systems — at much larger geographic scale.
• Arup: Arup is a global engineering consultancy with deep sustainability credentials and a Net Zero Buildings practice. Frequently shortlisted for the same high-profile net zero campus and cultural building projects that IDeAs targets, though typically at much larger project scale and broader scope.
• Buro Happold: Global engineering consultancy with a recognized sustainability practice. Pursues similar net zero and all-electric campus commissions (e.g., for cultural and higher-ed institutions) but does so across a much broader portfolio (structural, facades, lighting) and at far larger scale.

Direct peers

• Redwood Energy: Northern California MEP consulting firm focused on decarbonization, electrification, and multifamily retrofits. Partnered with IDeAs on Gish Family Apartments and other affordable housing work; competes for similar all-electric retrofit and decarbonization engagements for housing and institutional clients.
• Ecotope: Pacific Northwest energy modeling and high-performance building engineering consultancy. Frequently partnered with IDeAs on energy modeling for award-winning projects; competes on deep green commissioning and mechanical/electrical integration work for institutional and utility-scale efficiency programs.
• Atelier Ten: Atelier Ten is a specialty MEP and sustainability consulting practice (offices in NY, SF, London) focused on high-performance, net zero buildings. Comparable in size and mission to IDeAs: deep green electrical and facade engineering, repeat work for marquee cultural and commercial clients. Most direct competitor in the boutique deep-green engineering space.
• PAE Consulting Engineers: PAE is a 100+ person MEP engineering consultancy with a strong sustainability practice and offices in SF, Portland, Seattle, NYC. They compete for the same net zero campus commissions for tech, cultural, and higher-ed clients in the Bay Area and Pacific Northwest.
• Point Energy Innovations: Peter Rumsey's Bay Area MEP firm specializing in net zero energy buildings; long-standing collaborator (co-designed IDeAs Z2 and other award-winning projects). Competes for the same all-electric, high-performance engagements in Northern California and routinely partners or goes head-to-head with IDeAs on bids.

Others

• New Buildings Institute: NBI is a nonprofit research and policy organization that defines the zero energy building performance standard (NBI Senior Fellow is David Kaneda). Not a competitor, but a closely adjacent ecosystem participant whose protocols and certifications (e.g., NBI Zero Energy Verified) IDeAs' designs are measured against and specified to.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 IDeAs Consulting