By Lizzie Stricklin, Communications Manager, BCSE

As the United States faces growing energy demand from coast to coast, energy efficiency and sustainable energy solutions are needed more than ever to keep the lights on for homes and businesses. Through innovative financing mechanisms like Energy-as-a-Service, BCSE members are driving deployment of these key solutions.

In a recent BCSE Member Spotlight webinar, BCSE President Lisa Jacobson sat down with Arvin Vohra, CEO of Redaptive, which he co-founded in 2014. As an Energy-as-a-Service provider, Redaptive funds and installs energy-saving and energy-generating equipment. Redaptive’s programs help many of the world’s most sophisticated organizations reduce energy waste, save money, lower their carbon emissions, and meet their sustainability goals across their entire real estate portfolios.

In the discussion, Lisa and Arvin chatted with other BCSE members about the importance of Energy-as-a-Service and current trends in the energy financing market. Here are the top takeaways from the discussion on energy efficiency and Redaptive’s business model:

1) Energy-as-a-Service is an innovative model for financing sustainable energy upgrades.

Arvin defined Redaptive’s Energy-as-a-Service model as being “a friend to the customer and […] a friend to the marketplace.” With no boots of its own on the ground, Redaptive partners with third parties to manage the financing and execution of large scale energy upgrades for clients’ building portfolios. Customers are charged per utility unit saved (through efficiency upgrades or storage installation) or generated (through solar installation).

A performance-based financing approach reduces financial risk while allowing organizations to scale decarbonization efforts more rapidly. As regulatory and market pressures increase, such financing mechanisms will become essential for companies striving to meet ESG commitments while maintaining financial flexibility.

2) Business partnerships are key to deploying efficient and clean energy solutions at scale.

The path to net zero is not one that businesses must walk alone. Through strategic partnerships, businesses can unlock new opportunities, drive meaningful impact, and ensure that sustainability goals translate into tangible business outcomes.

Arvin discussed the role of partnerships in driving deployment efforts, a topic he previously discussed in March at the GreenBiz conference. Many organizations struggle to execute energy efficiency projects, he said, due to fragmented decision-making, outdated infrastructure, and budgetary limitations.

Beyond efficiency, a comprehensive approach to decarbonization must integrate energy-saving initiatives with renewable energy generation and new technology. This requires coordination. Partnerships can help companies strategically integrate technology and achieve their net-zero ambitions faster and more cost-effectively.

3) The market for Energy-as-a-Service is booming.

In fact, just this month, Redaptive secured a transformative $650 million credit facility from Nuveen, a TIAA company and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ). This strategic partnership fuels the company’s next phase of growth, enabling Redaptive to rapidly scale its Energy-as-a-Service and infrastructure monetization solutions for leading Industrial REITs, healthcare providers, manufacturers, and Fortune 500 enterprises.

“This new credit facility is a vote of confidence in both our team and our mission,” said Matt Gembrin, CFO of Redaptive in a press release. “Enterprises are under increasing pressure to modernize their infrastructure while staying financially agile. Our model continues to prove that you don’t have to choose between operational efficiency, capital discipline, and sustainability – you can achieve all three.”