Case Study

Energy Planning Engine

A homeowner education and lead qualification platform built to improve solar and battery consultations.

Product Marketing Demand Generation Product Strategy

Energy Planning Engine promotional graphic — Plan Smarter. Power Your Future. with Colorado Energy Experts and Univix branding

Business Challenge

As federal solar incentives disappeared, homeowners began asking more sophisticated questions about return on investment, backup power, and long-term energy planning. At the same time, Colorado Energy Experts was looking for a way to introduce homeowners to Univix carbon storage, an emerging battery technology, without overwhelming them with technical specifications or product-heavy sales messaging. The challenge was creating a process that educated first and sold second.

Strategic Insight

Most homeowners do not care about battery chemistry. They care about lower utility bills, backup power, energy independence, financial return, and protection from future utility rate increases. Rather than leading with battery specifications, we needed a way to help homeowners understand the energy planning decisions that determine whether storage makes sense in the first place.

Solution

I built the Energy Planning Engine, an interactive assessment tool that walks homeowners through the same planning framework used by our energy advisors. The platform helps homeowners understand energy consumption patterns, solar production potential, backup power needs, peak-rate utility charges, and long-term investment returns. Throughout the experience, Univix is introduced as the technology platform behind the recommendations, creating familiarity with carbon battery storage without requiring homeowners to become experts in battery chemistry.

How It Works

The Energy Planning Engine guides homeowners through goals, solar production, backup load planning, battery sizing, and financial analysis. It models payback periods, long-term savings, and investment performance while capturing lead data and integrating directly into HubSpot CRM workflows.

Goal selection screen asking homeowners what matters most: protection, savings, or freedom and control — Homeowners start by identifying what matters most — protection, savings, or energy independence.

Estimated solar array summary showing 8.7 kW system with daily average, annual usage, and estimated cost — Solar production is estimated from utility usage, making system sizing tangible before a consultation.

Backup strategy configuration screen for backup duration and peak shaving options — Backup strategy planning helps homeowners understand outage protection and peak-rate savings.

Battery strategy recommendation showing daily usage, backup duration, battery sizing, and Univix package options — Battery recommendations translate planning inputs into a right-sized Univix package — with clear math behind the recommendation.

Energy Planning Engine bottom line dashboard showing utility offset, annual return, 25-year net savings, and cost comparison chart — The bottom-line view translates complex energy economics into a clear financial story homeowners can act on.

Investment comparison chart showing solar IRR against savings accounts, treasury bonds, and S&P 500 — Financial analysis compares solar returns to familiar benchmarks, building confidence in the investment.

My Role

Product Strategy

Defined the homeowner journey, education framework, and qualification strategy.

Product Development

Self-taught Cursor workflows, built application logic, created financial models, and designed the user experience.

Marketing Operations

Integrated the platform with HubSpot CRM, built lead capture workflows, and connected assessment data to advisor pipelines.

Business Impact

The Energy Planning Engine transformed the consultation process from a product-focused sales conversation into an energy planning discussion. Homeowners arrive with a stronger understanding of their energy goals, solar economics, and battery storage options. Advisors receive richer lead data and have a more effective framework for discussing advanced solutions such as Univix carbon battery technology.

Technologies Used

Cursor
JavaScript
Financial Modeling
HubSpot CRM
Marketing Automation
UX Design
Product Strategy