Clean Energy Associates
Clean Energy Associates (Intertek CEA) provides factory-to-field quality assurance, engineering, ESG, and market intelligence services for solar PV and battery energy storage supply chains, serving developers, utilities, EPCs, financiers, and manufacturers globally as a subsidiary of Intertek Group plc.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersDenver, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Clean Energy Associates does
Clean Energy Associates, operating as Intertek CEA, is a Denver-headquartered provider of engineering and technical quality assurance services for the solar PV, battery energy storage, and balance-of-system supply chains. Founded in 2008 and now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intertek Group plc (LSE: ITRK), the company delivers services across six integrated lines: supply chain management (supplier selection, price negotiation, specification), quality assurance (factory audits, process monitoring, pre-shipment inspection, container loading supervision), engineering and field testing (design support, installation audits, asset diagnostics, acquisition due diligence), market intelligence (PV and ESS price forecasting reports, industry and policy analysis), ESG and traceability (independent ESG audits, end-to-end traceability, recycling verification), and field inspection. It serves five primary buyer personas — developers, utilities, EPCs, financiers, and manufacturers — operating globally through Intertek's network of 1,000+ labs and offices, with technical deployment drawn from 12,000+ auditors, inspectors, and technical personnel conducting 340,000+ inspections and technical visits per year.
The company's revenue model combines professional services engagements (multi-year, quote-based contracts for factory and field work) with subscription-based market intelligence products (PV and ESS Price Forecasting Reports, Global Manufacturing Quality Reports). Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales with a consultation-first funnel, supported by a content and thought-leadership engine spanning blog, webinars, podcasts (Clean Power Hour, SunCast), industry events, and a monthly newsletter. Recent strategic activity — including the February 2026 acquisition of drone-based PV inspection provider Aerial PV Inspection (AePVI) and the September 2024 appointment as Solar Stewardship Initiative ESG assessor — extends CEA's capability set into aerial diagnostics and authorized sustainability auditing, deepening its factory-to-field value proposition within the Intertek quality assurance platform.
Technically, CEA combines boots-on-the-ground inspection infrastructure with proprietary market intelligence datasets and, post-AePVI, high-speed drone-based data collection and asset lifecycle comparison tools. Its differentiation rests on the combination of Intertek's global delivery footprint, deep vertical specialization in PV and storage, and recurring inspection-derived data feeds. Limitations are notable: revenue and profitability are not separately disclosed, no AI/ML models are publicly referenced, no named customer logos are available, and the company competes against larger diversified QA firms and emerging specialist inspection startups without a clear stand-alone valuation benchmark.
Clean Energy Associates firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clean Energy Associates
- Legal name
- Intertek CEA
- Website
- https://cea3.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Clean Energy Associates (Intertek CEA) provides factory-to-field quality assurance, engineering, ESG, and market intelligence services for solar PV and battery energy storage supply chains, serving developers, utilities, EPCs, financiers, and manufacturers globally as a subsidiary of Intertek Group plc.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Clean Energy Associates industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Clean Energy Quality Assurance & Engineering Services
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)
- SIC
- Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Solar Balance-of-Plant EPC (Piles/Foundations, Trenching, Combiner Networks) (EUAEADAJ)
Keywords
Where Clean Energy Associates is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Clean Energy Associates business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Quality Assurance & Inspection Services: Professional services revenue from factory audits, product inspections, process monitoring, and field inspection services. Services are provided throughout the project lifecycle from supplier selection through installation and operational support.
- ESG & Sustainability Assessment: Independent ESG audits and compliance assessment services for supply chain sustainability, including Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) member factory evaluations and recycling verification.
- Market Intelligence & Reports: Subscription-based market intelligence reports including PV Price Forecasting Reports and Energy Storage Price Forecasting Reports covering industry trends, technology developments, supply chain dynamics, and policy analysis.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise professional services - custom pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Clean Energy Associates product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Intertek CEA provides independent engineering and technical quality assurance services for the solar PV, battery energy storage, and balance of system supply chains. Core offerings span supplier selection, factory audits, process monitoring, pre-shipment inspection, engineering design review, field inspection (including drone-based diagnostics), ESG and traceability audits, recycling verification, and recurring market intelligence reports (PV and ESS price forecasting).
Product overview
Intertek CEA (formerly Clean Energy Associates) offers a comprehensive clean energy services platform organized around three core technology areas—PV Solar, Energy Storage (Battery Energy Storage Systems), and Balance of System—supported by six integrated service lines: Supply Chain Management, Quality Assurance, Engineering & Field Testing, Market Intelligence, ESG & Traceability, and Recycling Verification. The portfolio is unified by the company's global field intelligence platform and technical expertise, helping developers, utilities, EPCs, financiers, and manufacturers de-risk clean energy supply chains and projects. Following its acquisition by Intertek Group, the company enhanced its capabilities with drone-based aerial PV inspection through the purchase of Aerial PV Inspection (AePVI), adding high-speed drone-based data collection and asset lifecycle comparison to its factory-to-field quality assurance offering.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PV Solar Modules Inspection & Quality Assessment Supplier selection, production monitoring, and pre-shipment inspection services for solar PV modules, including risk identification across the PV solar module supply chain. Intended for developers, EPCs, financiers, and manufacturers in the solar industry.
- Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Inspection & Quality Assurance Energy storage system inspection, quality assurance, and testing services for battery energy storage solutions across the supply chain and production process. Intended for developers, utilities, EPCs, financiers, and storage manufacturers.
- Balance of System (BOS) Inspection & Quality Assessment Inspection and quality assessment services for balance of system components in solar installations, covering non-module hardware used in solar PV projects.
- Supply Chain Management Services Supplier selection support, product specification development, price negotiation, and warranty term services to help clients select the best supplier and product for their clean energy projects. Intended for developers, EPCs, manufacturers, and utilities.
- Quality Assurance Services Factory audits before production begins, in-process monitoring during production, final goods inspection prior to shipping, and container loading supervision services for clean energy supply chains.
- Engineering & Field Testing Services Optimal project design development, installation quality and safety audits, diagnostics for underperforming assets and storm damage, and acquisition due diligence services for clean energy projects.
- Field Inspection Services (including Drone-based Aerial PV Inspection) Field inspection services for solar assets covering factory-to-field quality, including drone-based aerial PV inspection and asset lifecycle comparison capabilities acquired via Aerial PV Inspection (AePVI).
- Market Intelligence & Price Forecasting Reports Subscription-based market intelligence covering industry dynamics, technology trends, supply chains, pricing, and policy in solar PV and energy storage, including recurring PV Price Forecasting Reports and ESS Price Forecasting Reports, plus technical and market diligence support for large investments.
- ESG & Traceability Services Independent ESG audits, end-to-end supply chain traceability, and recycling verification ensuring responsible supplier practices, verified material origins, validated recycler performance, and documented material recovery pathways to protect projects and investor confidence.
- Recycling Verification Services Independent verification of recycler performance and documented material recovery pathways for solar and storage component recycling programs.
Quantifiable outcome
- 340,000+ inspections and technical visits per year demonstrating operational scale and client trust
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Clean Energy Associates
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Clean Energy Associates technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Clean Energy Associates partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Aerial PV Inspection (AePVI)coreAcquired by Intertek Group to strengthen Intertek CEA's end-to-end quality assurance offering for the solar industry. The acquisition enhances high-speed drone-based data collection, analysis, and asset lifecycle comparison capabilities for PV inspection services.
- Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI)coreIntertek CEA has been appointed by SSI to assess progress of solar PV supply chain ESG compliance. CEA evaluates SSI member companies' factories to ensure adherence to new sustainability standards as part of SSI's push for a more ethical and transparent solar supply chain.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Clean Energy Associates competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Sinovoltaics: Hong Kong-based PV-only quality assurance and supply-chain services firm offering factory audits, pre-shipment inspections, and ESG services; narrower focus but directly competitive in solar QA.
- Wood Mackenzie: Energy research and consultancy firm producing market intelligence, price forecasting, and due diligence on renewables; comparable to Intertek CEA's Market Intelligence subscription products and developer/financier-facing advisory work.
Direct peers
- SGS: World's largest testing, inspection, and certification company with renewable energy inspection and supply-chain verification services, operating globally with comparable scale to Intertek CEA's parent-network reach.
- Element Materials Testing: Global testing services provider with energy sector exposure including PV and battery testing; competes in adjacent testing and certification services with overlap in manufacturer-side QA.
- UL Solutions: Independent safety science company offering PV and energy storage testing, certification, and factory audits; competes with Intertek CEA on manufacturer-side quality assurance and standards compliance.
- TÜV Rheinland: Major TIC (testing, inspection, certification) group with a dedicated solar and energy storage service line offering factory audits, PV module testing, and IEC/UL certification directly comparable to Intertek CEA's QA offerings.
- DNV: Global testing, inspection, and certification provider with deep energy and renewables advisory practice (formerly DNV GL). Competes head-to-head with Intertek CEA in solar and storage QA, factory audits, and technical due diligence for project finance.
- Bureau Veritas: Global TIC conglomerate with a dedicated power & utilities segment providing supply-chain inspections, factory audits, and asset verification in renewables; directly comparable in business model and customer base.
- TÜV SÜD: Global TIC provider with renewable energy testing and certification services for PV modules, inverters, and battery storage, overlapping directly with Intertek CEA's quality assurance and field inspection capabilities.
Broad incumbents
- Black & Veatch: Large engineering, procurement, and construction firm with a renewables advisory practice offering owner's engineering and quality assurance; a broader incumbent that competes in technical due diligence and field engineering services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Clean Energy Associates social profiles
Digital presenceClean Energy Associates financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clean Energy Associates leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Clean Energy Associates funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clean Energy Associates M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Clean Energy Associates
What does Clean Energy Associates do?
Intertek CEA provides independent engineering and technical quality assurance services for the solar PV, battery energy storage, and balance of system supply chains. Core offerings span supplier selection, factory audits, process monitoring, pre-shipment inspection, engineering design review, field inspection (including drone-based diagnostics), ESG and traceability audits, recycling verification, and recurring market intelligence reports (PV and ESS price forecasting).
Is Clean Energy Associates a public or private company?
Clean Energy Associates is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Clean Energy Associates founded?
Clean Energy Associates was founded in 2008. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Clean Energy Associates based?
Clean Energy Associates is headquartered in Denver, United States, in the North America region.
How does Clean Energy Associates make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Quality Assurance & Inspection Services are the primary driver. The others are ESG & Sustainability Assessment and market Intelligence & Reports.
Who are Clean Energy Associates's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Sinovoltaics and Wood Mackenzie. Direct peers are SGS, Element Materials Testing, UL Solutions, TÜV Rheinland, DNV, Bureau Veritas and TÜV SÜD. Black & Veatch is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Clean Energy Associates have an API?
No public API is recorded for Clean Energy Associates.
What industry is Clean Energy Associates in?
Clean Energy Associates's product category is Clean Energy Quality Assurance & Engineering Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAEADAJ, Solar Balance-of-Plant EPC (Piles/Foundations, Trenching, Combiner Networks). Its NAICS code is 54138 and its SIC code is 8734.