An objective comparison of offers from pre-qualified Solar Retailers
Our platform and highly competitive process are superior to in-house procurement processes and ad-hoc quote comparisons
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Beam Solar Procure Marketplace
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Australia's leading marketplace platform for commercial solar projects
Our platform and highly competitive process are superior to in-house procurement processes and ad-hoc quote comparisons. Choosing Beam Solar's marketplace platform and expertise means you get access to a combined three decades of industry expertise and a commitment to quality that will pay off many times over.
To ensure projects are implemented to a high standard and will remain supported during the warranty period, we have pre-qualified all Solar Retailers on Beam Solar.
Solar Retailer Pre-qualification
Before your project commences the Procurement process, we have done all the hard work pre-qualifying Solar Retailers to participate on the Beam Solar platform.
Solar Retailer Registration
To ensure projects are implemented to a high standard and will remain supported during the warranty period, we have pre-qualified all Suppliers on Beam Solar. To register on the platform Suppliers must have and keep up to date the following:
- Minimum 5-years of operation in commercial solar
- Clean Energy Council (CEC) Solar Retailer and Installer accreditation
- Three customer references of commercial solar projects
- Current financials and credit score from Equifax
- Current insurances with an appropriate level of cover
Solar Retailer Score
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Credit Score - annual credit score independently assessed by Equifax
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Solar Audit Score - Each project that is implemented by a Supplier on the Beam Solar platform is audited and scored by our solar engineers. The average of a supplier's solar audit scores informs their total score.
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Customer Feedback Score - Each project that is implemented by a Supplier on the Beam Solar platform is scored based on our customer survey.
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Management System Certification - Suppliers will score additional points for certification under AS and ISO Safety Management Certification, Quality Management Certification and Environmental Management Certification.
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Contract Score - Supplier's standard Capex and PPA contract terms and conditions, and our experience negotiating on behalf of customers with the supplier are incorporated into a Contract Score.
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Volume Score - Supplier's are scored based on the quantity of MW they have installed over the last two full years.
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Experience Score - Suppliers are scored based on when their first commercial scale project was installed.
Initial Offers
For all projects small and large we start with Initial offers. We request Initial Offers for your project from Pre-qualified Solar Retailers through the Beam Solar platform. This ensures all Solar Retailers are providing competitive pricing and a quality solution on what you want.
Minimum Requirements
We have developed a 22 page Supplier Conditions for Participation that all offers must comply with. These conditions are in addition to Australian Standards and Clean Energy Council Standards and continue to be developed as standards and technology evolve. When Suppliers submit an offer through Beam Solar it must comply with all Minimum Conditions of Participation. This allows us to align all offers so a meaningful comparison can be made and any surprises avoided during contracting.
Project brief
As each project is unique, we provide a comprehensive project brief to suppliers outlining all key details about your project. All information from the Assessment is available for Suppliers, including the proposed layout, connection points, electricity interval data and energy prices. We collate the site schedules, diagrams and photographs for inclusion in the Project Brief. Any additional requirements that you have can be quickly and easily add to the Project Brief and attachments.
Initial Offer Selection
Solar Retailers provide competitive pricing and a quality solution through the Beam Solar platform. For each Initial Offer we calculate the equipment and warranty scores, supplier score and calculate the annual cost savings from that offer. Initial Offers provides an objective comparison of offers so you can proceed to the next step with confidence.
Final Offers
For larger projects, we can carry out a second round of procurement. Three to four Suppliers will be shortlisted for the Final Offers round with the aim of selecting one Supplier for contract execution. The Final Offers round can either be a Request for Proposals (RFP) or Weighted Reverse Auction (Auction). We manage the Final Offers process throughout the following stages.
Project Brief and Scoring
The project Brief will be updated with new information, which may include structural and electrical assessments, plus additional information from the site. We have developed a detailed question set and scoring for commercial solar projects in Australia that Suppliers respond to in the Final Offers round. Question weighting can be adjusted upon request and this will inform the Suppliers' non-price score in both an RFP and Auction project.
Site Inspection
We coordinate and attend site inspections by Suppliers at the target site(s). This can be done as a single site visit with all shortlisted suppliers attending or with suppliers attending individually. We will work with your site contact to coordinate a suitable time(s) and ensure inductions and PPE requirements are met by all attendees. The site inspection will typically involve inspection of roof areas, distribution boards, connection points, potential inverter locations, potential cable runs, site access and lifting locations and potential site storage. Our solar experts will answer any project specific questions and we'll rely on your site contact for site specific questions.
Final Offers Selection
Suppliers will submit their Final Offers through the Beam Solar platform and these will be scored by Beam Solar according the questionnaire scoring and weighting. We will work with Suppliers to clarify any points that are unclear and will be continually optimising for reduced price and increased quality in negotiations with Suppliers.
We will provide financial analysis of Final Offers based on offered pricing and contract terms. We will provide assistance with selecting a supplier to contract with, including back-and-forth clarifications and meetings with you as part of the decision-making process.
Weighted Reverse Auction (optional)
For Auction projects, the non-price score for each Supplier and will inform the 'weighted' component of the weighted reverse auction. Supplier's then continually bid on price to improve their rank and attempt to win the auction.
Contract Execution
- We will request a final contract from the successful Solar Retailer incorporating the terms and conditions agreed in the tender process
- We will review the major commercial terms and propose amendments to align with the tender requirements if they do not align.
- We will assist your legal term to interpret the more technical contract terms specific to the solar industry.
- We will provide feedback on acceptability of contract terms proposed by the Solar Retailer
- We will facilitate final contract execution between the Solar Retailer and you based on terms and conditions agreed in the RFP process.
Initial Offers
Free
First round of offers for large projects (only round for projects <100 kW)
Start here after your Assessment.
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Detailed project brief and custom requirements
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22 page minimum requirements based on CEC and AS
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40+ Pre-qualified Solar Retailers invited to offer
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Solar panel, inverter and installation warranty scoring
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Apples vs Apples comparison with Beam Solar offers engine
Final Offers
Platform Fee
Second round of offers for large projects to improve price and quality
Shortlist 3-4 Solar Retailers.
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Detailed and bespoke requirements in project brief
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Supplier site inspection and interviews hosted by Beam Solar
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20+ metrics scored + custom questions and scoring
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Request for Proposal or Weighted Reverse Auction
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Assistance with contract review and negotiation
Bespoke Procurement
Custom
Assistance with procurement outside the Beam Solar platform.
Start here for in-house procurement.
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Expertise and advice structuring open tenders and EOIs
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Sharing of supplier pre-qualification information and advice
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Technical advice and bespoke requirements documentation
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Assistance with tender evaluation and analysis of proposals
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Facilitation of supplier site inspections and interviews
Initial Offers
Initial Offers from Solar Retailers.
Self service through our platform
- Detailed project brief and custom requirements
- 22 page minimum requirements based on CEC and AS
- 40+ Pre-qualified Solar Retailers invited to offer
- Solar panel, inverter and installation warranty scoring
- Apple vs Apples comparison with Beam Solar offers engine
Commission
Shortlist 3-4 Solar Retailers over multiple rounds of offers.
Completed by a solar engineer
- Includes everything in Free
- Request for Proposal (RFP) or Reverse Auction
- Detailed and bespoke requirements in project brief
- Supplier site inspection and interviews hosted by Beam Solar
- 20+ metrics scored + custom questions and scoring
- Assistance with contract review and negotiation
Request Pricing
Utilise your procurement process, augmented with Beam's expertise
Completed by a solar engineer
- Includes everything in Free and Premium
- Project brief, minimum conditions, inclusions and exclusions.
- Access to the Beam Solar Retailer rankings, solar panel and inverter scoring