Ideal Energy, Llc

What Ideal Energy, Llc does

Ideal Energy, LLC is an Iowa-based solar engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firm founded in 2008 and headquartered in Fairfield, Iowa. The company designs, installs, and commissions commercial-scale photovoltaic systems, battery energy storage, and increasingly green hydrogen production infrastructure for manufacturing, agriculture, commercial real estate, government, and education customers across the Midwest. It is privately held, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVOSB), and operates with a small in-house team of master electricians, apprentices, and construction crews rather than a subcontractor model. Sixteen years of continuous operation have produced a project portfolio ranging from community-scale solar (4.5 MW Alliant Deer Run) to academic and agricultural deployments (1.1 MW Maharishi International University, 720 kW Kemin) and pilot green-hydrogen systems (1.4 MW Landus/Talus Ag ammonia project).

The firm's technology stack spans DC and AC photovoltaic system design, lithium-ion battery storage integration, and front-of-meter solar-to-hydrogen generation. The proprietary Peak Power Management platform applies machine-learning algorithms to forecast facility load profiles and optimize battery dispatch for demand-charge reduction and peak shaving, providing a recurring software/services layer over the installed hardware base. The company has executed first-of-kind projects in Iowa's commercial storage market (Agri-Industrial Plastics) and in Midwest green hydrogen and agrivoltaics, generating referenceable project credibility.

Ideal Energy operates an integrated business model combining turnkey EPC delivery, project financing facilitation, and long-term operations and maintenance (O&M) contracts. Revenue is generated primarily through project-based construction contracts, with recurring revenue from O&M service agreements and the Peak Power Management software layer. The go-to-market is regional, anchored in Iowa, with expansion signals into hydrogen production, agrivoltaics research partnerships, and larger utility-scale community solar projects.

Name

Ideal Energy, Llc

Legal name

Ideal Energy, Inc.

Website

https://ideal.energy

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ideal Energy is an Iowa-based veteran-owned solar EPC firm that designs and installs commercial photovoltaic, battery storage, and green hydrogen systems for manufacturing, agriculture, commercial real estate, government, and education clients across the Midwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Solar and Energy Storage Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAMABAB

Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Renewable Energy (Solar, Wind, Hydro & Geothermal)/Solar Energy (PV, CSP, Rooftop & Utility-Scale)

SECONDARYEUAEAAAG

Solar PV Power Plant EPC (Utility-Scale)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Energy Infrastructure & Services (EPC, O&M, Field Services)/Power Generation EPC & Construction

SECONDARYEUAEAEAE

Hybrid Renewable + Storage Plant Integration (Solar+Storage, Wind+Storage)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Energy Infrastructure & Services (EPC, O&M, Field Services)/Energy Storage EPC & Integration (BESS, PCS, EMS)

SECONDARYEUACAGAB

Utility-Scale PV EPC (Engineering, Procurement & Construction)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Electric Power Generation/Solar Power Generation (Utility-Scale PV & CSP)

Keywords

• Commercial solar installation
• Battery energy storage
• Solar EPC services
• Peak shaving solutions
• Renewable hydrogen production

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. EPC Services: Engineering, Procurement, and Construction services for solar energy systems. Includes custom design, installation, and project management with in-house crews. Revenue is project-based and one-time per installation.
2. Solar and Storage Equipment Sales: Sale of solar panels, battery storage systems, inverters, and related hardware as part of turnkey solutions. Includes tier 1 panels, bifacial panels, and lithium-ion battery systems.
3. Financing Services: Tailored financial options including direct purchase, operating leases, and power purchasing agreements (PPAs). Operating leases typically run seven years and often cover project costs entirely.
4. Operations & Maintenance: Long-term asset management and maintenance services for installed solar and storage systems. Includes proactive monitoring, troubleshooting, and ongoing performance optimization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ideal Energy designs, installs, and maintains commercial-scale solar photovoltaic systems, battery energy storage systems, and renewable hydrogen (electrolysis) projects for business customers across the Midwest. The company delivers turnkey engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services with in-house crews, complemented by tailored financing structures (direct purchase, operating leases, and PPAs) and long-term operations and maintenance. Core offerings include fixed-tilt and active-tracking solar arrays, lithium-ion battery storage with AI-optimized peak shaving, and renewable hydrogen production integrated with solar generation.

Product overview

Ideal Energy is a veteran-owned, Iowa-based solar energy company delivering turnkey solar, battery storage, and renewable hydrogen solutions. The core product portfolio includes Solar Energy (scalable solar installations), Energy Storage (battery systems for peak shaving and backup), and Renewable Hydrogen (green hydrogen production). These are complemented by EPC services for design and construction, Financing options (leases, PPAs, direct purchase), and Operations & Maintenance for ongoing asset management. The company serves commercial, industrial, agricultural, and institutional customers across the Midwest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solar Energy Scalable commercial and industrial solar PV installations for projects of any size, including fixed-tilt arrays and active tracking arrays that produce 15-20% more power. Sold to commercial, industrial, agricultural, governmental, and educational customers across the Midwest.
• Energy Storage Advanced battery energy storage systems (including lithium-ion with ~5,000 charge-discharge cycle lifetime) used for demand charge reduction, peak shaving, emergency backup, and resilient microgrids. Includes AI-optimized control software that coordinates solar production, usage history, utility rates, and weather patterns.
• Renewable Hydrogen (Green Hydrogen) Renewable hydrogen production via electrolysis powered by renewable energy sources for a carbon-free economy. Demonstrated through a 1.4 MW zero-carbon ammonia electrolyzer pilot project in partnership with Landus and Talus Ag.
• EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) Engineering, procurement, and construction services for solar, storage, and renewable hydrogen systems, delivered by in-house crews including 2 master electricians and several apprentice electricians. Projects range from 300 kW to multi-megawatt installations.
• Financing Tailored financial options for solar projects including direct purchase, operating leases (typically 7 years, often fully covering project costs with zero net out-of-pocket expense), and power purchasing agreements (PPAs) where customers pay for electricity generated at a negotiated rate without owning the system.
• Operations & Maintenance Long-term asset management and maintenance services for installed solar, storage, and hydrogen systems, including proactive monitoring linked to an online dashboard for five years (standard on all systems), troubleshooting, and ongoing performance optimization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces commercial utility bills by $42,000-$113,000 per year depending on project size
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Alliant EnergyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor utility partnership for community solar and research projects. Deer Run project: 4.5 MW active tracking array with 18,000 solar blocks for Alliant Energy's Community Solar portfolio. Joint agrivoltaics research facility at Iowa State University studying impact of solar configurations on specialty crops, pollinator habitats, and energy production.
• Iowa State UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with Alliant Energy on one of the first utility-scale agrivoltaics research facilities in the world. Research studies impact of multiple solar configurations on specialty crops, pollinator habitats, and energy production.
• LanduscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIowa's leading agricultural cooperative partnered with Ideal Energy and Talus Ag to integrate solar energy and renewable ammonia fertilizer production into a grain drying facility. 1.4 MW zero-carbon ammonia electrolyzer pilot project.
• Talus AgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with Ideal Energy and Landus on green ammonia fertilizer production integrated with solar at grain drying facility.
• Maharishi International University (MIU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner1.1 MW solar power plant (MIU Solar Power Plant) with pollinator habitat and regenerative agriculture research plots. Also partner on solar sheep grazing initiative with university alumna for vegetation management.
• Emily MauntelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIU partnered with Emily Mauntel, alumna of university's Regenerative Organic Agriculture program, on solar sheep grazing initiative to manage vegetation at 6-acre solar site.
• Stanley Center for Peace & SecuritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesigned and installed solar and battery storage including solar canopy for beyond-net-zero goals at one of the most sustainable buildings in the world.
• TeslacoreTechnology or IntegrationInstalled first solar + Tesla Powerpack system in the Midwest at Agri-Industrial Plastics Company. Tesla Powerpack systems used for peak shaving applications.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• OneEnergy Renewables: OneEnergy Renewables is a Midwest-focused commercial, institutional, and utility-scale solar developer that develops, finances, and owns solar plus storage assets. Both companies emphasize community solar subscriber models, in-house engineering, and Iowa/Midwest footprints, making them close direct peers.
• DSD Renewables (now part of Qcells): DSD Renewables was a top-tier commercial, industrial, and community solar EPC with strong Midwest utility partnerships before its acquisition by Qcells. Its project mix (C&I ground-mount, community solar, battery storage) and owner/operator financing model directly overlap with Ideal Energy's EPC + O&M + financing stack.
• Pivot Energy: Pivot Energy is a Denver-based commercial, community, and utility-scale solar developer and EPC that delivers turnkey solar and storage across the Midwest - the same project types, financing structures (PPAs, leases), and customer verticals (manufacturing, ag, municipal) that Ideal Energy serves. Both compete for community solar programs like Alliant's Deer Run-style gardens.
• Borrego Solar: Borrego Solar is a long-established commercial and industrial solar EPC and developer with in-house storage integration and active tracking expertise, very similar to Ideal Energy's portfolio of agri-industrial and institutional customers, multi-MW ground mounts, and storage retrofits across the Midwest and nationwide.

Regional players

• GenPro Energy Solutions: GenPro is a Midwest- and Plains-focused commercial, agricultural, and utility-scale solar EPC with in-house installation crews and strong farm/cooperative relationships. Similar agricultural customer concentration (grain handling, livestock), regional EPC delivery model, and turnkey solar plus storage offering as Ideal Energy.

Emerging players

• Solect Energy: Solect Energy is a regional commercial and industrial solar developer and EPC serving the Midwest with turnkey solar, storage, and EV charging. Smaller scale than Ideal Energy in some markets but highly overlapping in product mix, customer type, and direct ownership/financing models.
• Catalyze: Catalyze is a national commercial and industrial solar and battery storage developer focused on behind-the-meter and front-of-meter projects with proprietary financing. Its overlap with Ideal Energy's peak-shaving message and target customer verticals makes it a relevant emerging competitor in the same segment.

Broad incumbents

• Mortenson Construction (Renewable Energy Group): Mortenson's Renewable Energy Group is one of the largest U.S. utility-scale wind and solar EPCs with significant Midwest utility work. While much larger and focused on utility-scale, Mortenson competes for the same multi-MW, EPC-only mandates that Ideal Energy targets (e.g., Alliant's 4.5 MW Deer Run).
• McCarthy Building Companies (Renewable Energy): McCarthy's Energy Solutions group is a national EPC contractor with solar and storage build work for institutional, industrial, and utility clients - directly comparable to Ideal Energy's enterprise and mid-market EPC business and competing for the same pool of design-build, in-house-crew solar mandates.
• Tesla Energy: Tesla Energy sells Powerpack/Megapack battery storage and integrated solar roofs and is the same vendor Ideal Energy specifies for peak-shaving projects (e.g., Tesla Powerpack at Agri-Industrial Plastics). Tesla's expanding direct commercial solar + storage offerings create both supply-chain dependency and competitive threat.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPKbrLMPjbR7EFT_5M2eNCA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ideal-energy-solar/posts/?feedView=all
• Instagraminstagram.com/idealrenewables

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Ideal Energy, Llc