Stage 01
Week 0
Site qualification
A 60-second machine-issued PDF from qualify.bcalenergy.com: PG&E ICA hosting capacity, SGIP step, indicative ITC, and an air-district verdict.
Independent developer · One desk · One process
Chapter 04 · The Engagement
How we develop.
A development engagement runs in six stages from first conversation to commercial operation. The technical scope and the documentation set are the same on every project — what changes is the site.
Chapter 04.1 · The Six Stages
First call to commercial operation.
Every Bcal development engagement runs the same six stages. Stage 1 takes 20 minutes. Stage 6 takes 14 months. Everything in between is documented in writing.
Stage 02
Week 0–2
NDA + interval data
Mutual NDA executed. You provide 12 months of 15-minute interval data. We provide our standard data-handling protocol — no third-party processing.
Stage 03
Week 1–7
PFSA diligence
Site-specific Pre-Feasibility & Stacking Analysis. PG&E tariff at your meter, SGIP step pricing, post-OBBBA ITC sizing, air-district screen, and indicative economics.
Stage 04
Month 2–4
Development scope agreed
Plain-English term sheet — what Bcal develops, what the host provides, what the engagement costs, and the milestones at which payment changes hands.
Stage 05
Month 4–14
Permits + interconnection + EPC
Rule 21 interconnection, air-district permits, BAAQMD / SJVAPCD / SMAQMD as applicable, equipment order through FuelCell Energy, EPC oversight, commissioning.
Stage 06
Month 14+
Commercial operation
Commercial Operation Date. Savings begin month one of COD. Bcal stays on under a long-term service contract with FuelCell Energy as the OEM warranty counterparty.
Chapter 04.2 · Scope of Work
Who does what.
A clean line between developer scope and host scope is the single most important contract clarification on a behind-the-meter project. Here is how we draw it.
Bcal develops
What we do.
- Origination, deal structuring, and term-sheet drafting
- Site qualification and PFSA diligence
- Technical scope definition with FuelCell Energy
- Rule 21 interconnection application and tracking
- Air-district permitting (BAAQMD / SJVAPCD / SMAQMD)
- SGIP application and post-OBBBA ITC documentation
- EPC sourcing, contracting, and oversight
- Commissioning and the long-term service contract
Host provides
What you do.
- Site control and the pad location for the module
- 12 months of 15-minute interval data
- Access to the main service for tie-in design
- Thermal sink for CHP — steam, hot water, or absorption chilling
- Internal alignment with facilities, sustainability, and CFO
- Gas service coordination with the local utility
- Approval gates at term sheet, permits, and notice-to-proceed
- One decision-maker on the host side as the primary contact
"Every bad behind-the-meter project I've seen failed at the scope boundary, not at the technology. We write it down up front because it matters."
Closer · Start at Stage 01
Start with a free site qualification.
A 60-second machine-issued PDF that tells you whether the site is even eligible. No call required. If the site passes, the next step is a PFSA or a direct conversation.