Building a Brilliant Tomorrow
Founded in 2008, Inovateus Solar is a national solar and energy storage developer and EPC. We serve utilities, municipalities, electric cooperatives, Fortune 500 firms, schools, universities and commercial industries.
Development. Engineering. Procurement. Construction.
With one partner managing every phase, you get fewer handoffs, tighter schedules and clear accountability from interconnection to commercial operation.
Development
Site selection, land, interconnection, permitting and financing.
Engineering
Civil, structural and electrical design stamped for your jurisdiction.
Procurement
Modules, inverters, racking and balance of system, sourced and tracked.
Construction
Field work by trusted subcontractors under our management, through commissioning and handover.
Solar for every scale
We work throughout the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Past customers include desalination plants, brownfields, agriculture, retail stores, universities and municipalities.
Utilities
Large-scale solar for power providers, like the 188 MWdc Honeysuckle project in Indiana.
Commercial & Industrial
Rooftop, carport and ground-mount systems for businesses including IKEA, Ford and Walgreens.
Universities & Schools
Campus solar farms and carports for schools such as the University of Illinois and Michigan State.
Municipalities & Co-ops
City-owned and cooperative projects, often with PPAs that need no upfront capital.
Building a brilliant tomorrow since 2008.
Inovateus Solar has grown from a small Midwest solar contractor into a leading national solar developer and EPC, headquartered in South Bend, Indiana.
A trusted leader in Midwest renewable energy
With more than 750 MWdc of solar projects delivered, Inovateus Solar is a trusted leader in the Midwest renewable energy industry. We partner with businesses, municipalities, schools and utilities to develop and deliver high-quality solar solutions that create lasting value.
Through proven expertise, innovative solutions and long-term partnerships, we help organizations take control of their energy future and move confidently toward a more sustainable, resilient and affordable power system.
To invest in the energy future of our customers.
From early-stage opportunity to successful completion
For nearly two decades, Inovateus has worked alongside landowners, utilities and businesses to bring solar projects to life. That experience across development, construction management, logistics and procurement helps us anticipate challenges early and deliver projects with confidence.
To develop responsible, well-planned renewable energy projects that create value for landowners, customers, communities and project partners, while helping build a brilliant tomorrow.
Our story
Inovateus Solar was founded in South Bend, Indiana, in 2008 by our late co-founder Tom Kanczuzewski. He built the company on Midwestern values and a simple belief: that clean, homegrown energy could change how America powers its future.
What began as a small Midwest solar contractor has grown into a national solar and energy storage developer and EPC. Today our team develops, engineers and builds projects for utilities, municipalities, schools and businesses, guiding each one from the first site visit through commissioning.
Our values: CARE
- Career Development — Technical and Personal Growth
- Aspirational Vision — Achieving the Unimaginable
- Results — Corporate and Personal
- Esprit de Corps — Team Interdependence and Community Bonding
Building today, protecting the land for tomorrow
Sustainability shapes how we plan, build and eventually decommission every project. We track our progress every year and keep looking for new ways to reduce our footprint on every site.
- Zero-waste construction: sorting, reusing and recycling pallets, cardboard, metal, plastic and damaged modules on every site
- Pollinator habitat and agrivoltaics: native plantings, beekeeping, sheep grazing and crops alongside the panels
- Green procurement: responsibly sourced, high-efficiency equipment with a smaller manufacturing and shipping footprint
- Smart design: more power per acre, less wire and less ground disturbance
- End-of-life planning: reusing, refurbishing and recycling equipment when a project is decommissioned or repowered
From greenfield to shovel-ready.
Inovateus provides high-quality, personalized solar and energy storage development for commercial, industrial, municipal and utility projects. We carry projects from development straight into EPC.
End-to-end renewable energy development
Inovateus Solar provides end-to-end renewable energy development services for commercial, industrial, municipal and utility-scale solar and energy storage projects. From identifying the right land and evaluating site conditions to navigating utility requirements and local permitting, our development team works closely with landowners, utilities, municipalities, community leaders and other stakeholders to create projects that deliver lasting value.
We take a hands-on approach to every project. By building strong relationships with landowners and engaging directly with utilities, municipalities and communities, we develop renewable energy projects that are thoughtfully designed to fit their surroundings and meet the needs of the people they serve.
Our team carefully evaluates each site to determine what is feasible and what makes sense for the area:
- Land and site conditions
- Existing infrastructure
- Grid capacity and utility requirements
- Environmental considerations
- Local permitting and community priorities
Our development process
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Site origination
Screen land for solar resource, grid proximity, topography, wetlands and zoning, then secure site control through lease or purchase.
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Interconnection
File and manage queue positions with the utility or RTO, and work through feasibility, system impact and facilities studies.
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Permitting & land use
Lead environmental reviews, local zoning approvals and community engagement.
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Offtake & financing
Structure PPAs, community solar subscriptions or utility contracts. Long-term PPAs let cities and businesses go solar with no upfront capital.
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Notice to proceed
Hand a fully de-risked project to our EPC team for engineering and construction.
Have land that could host solar?
Help us build a brilliant tomorrow by leasing large parcels of land for solar. Landowners earn a steady, predictable lease rate and can rest assured their land will be protected for future generations.
Built with passion, delivered as one team.
Inovateus Solar is leading the U.S. in sustainable EPC services, with zero-waste construction, pollinator ground cover and design methods that take a holistic view of our impact on the land.
Turnkey EPC, from design to energization
Inovateus Solar provides full-service, turnkey EPC solutions designed to take renewable energy projects from engineering and design through construction and commercial operation.
We bring the same hands-on approach to construction that we bring to development. Our team works closely with project owners, utilities, engineers, equipment suppliers, local stakeholders and construction partners to ensure projects are delivered safely, efficiently, on schedule and to the highest standards of quality.
Our extensive network of trusted and experienced subcontractors and industry partners allows us to assemble the right team for each project while maintaining consistent oversight and accountability. From site preparation and civil work to electrical installation, equipment integration and final commissioning, Inovateus manages the details that turn a project plan into a reliable, operating renewable energy asset.
Our experienced team manages every stage of execution:
- System engineering and design-build
- Procurement
- Construction management and installation
- Project coordination
- Quality control
- Commissioning
With a strong commitment to safety, quality and performance, we provide our customers with a single, experienced partner throughout the entire construction process.
Full-scope solar and energy storage EPC
For businesses, cities, utilities, co-ops and leading solar developers, our scope covers project development, permitting, design, engineering, construction, interconnection, commissioning and final inspection.
Engineering
Energy yield modeling, civil and structural design, electrical single-lines, and permit-ready plan sets. Value engineering keeps cost per watt down without compromising performance.
Procurement
Established supplier relationships for modules, inverters, trackers and racking. Domestic-content and tariff compliance tracking. Logistics coordinated to the construction schedule.
Construction
Experienced field supervision, local labor, quality inspections and commissioning, through mechanical completion and commercial operation.
Safety is how we work
Safety comes first on every Inovateus project. Each site operates under its own dedicated safety plan, every workday begins with a job briefing, and every crew and subcontractor receives ongoing training.
A safe jobsite protects the people who build our projects, and it keeps those projects on schedule.
The latest from Inovateus Solar
Our press releases and the stories other outlets have written about our projects, people and sustainability work.
Let’s talk about your solar project
Whether you’re planning a project, have land to lease or are working on a story, our team is ready to help.
Thank you. Your message was sent.
A member of our team will get back to you soon. For anything urgent, email us at development@inovateus.com.
Our portfolio
More than 750 MWdc of commercial, industrial, utility and government solar in 23 states and the Caribbean.
Project showcase
Honeysuckle Solar
The Honeysuckle Solar Project, now operating in St. Joseph County, Indiana, was developed by Lightsource bp and built by Inovateus Solar as prime EPC contractor. It is the county’s first utility-scale solar array, located east of New Carlisle and about 23 miles west of the University of Notre Dame.
- 188 MW
- dc capacity
- 25,000+
- homes’ worth of clean power
- 204,000
- metric tons of CO₂ offset each year
- 897 acres
- of pollinator-friendly landscaping
- 88%
- construction recycling rate (1,525+ tons)
- $30M+
- local tax revenue over 30 years
About the project
- More than 400,000 solar modules, using U.S.-sourced materials: First Solar ultra-low carbon modules, Siemens inverters, ATI racking and Nucor steel piles.
- About 200 construction jobs over a 12- to 14-month build, with most workers hired locally.
- Pollinator habitat planted across 897 acres in collaboration with the Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund.
- 88% of construction waste recycled with local companies, more than 1,525 tons kept out of landfills.
City of Pratt Solar
Inovateus Solar, Kenyon Energy and the City of Pratt built a 6 MWac solar farm on the northeast corner of town. Construction started in June 2018 and the array began commercial operation in January 2019. Inovateus managed construction.
- 6 MWac
- solar farm (7.66 MWdc)
- 10,000
- homes powered
- 15-year
- power purchase agreement
- 100%
- of output to Pratt’s utility power plant
- 7 months
- from groundbreaking to commercial operation
About the project
- The city’s utility power plant buys all of the array’s output under a 15-year power purchase agreement.
- The project also helps Pratt Community College develop a solar program.
“We are impressed by the enthusiasm expressed by city officials as well as Pratt Community College in the creation of a solar program. This aligns really well with our core values to continue educating and promoting the use of solar technologies.”Jordan Richardson, Business Development Manager, Inovateus Solar
More videos
More of our projects
A selection of the solar projects we have developed and built.
How we solve hard projects
A closer look at the challenges, our approach and the results for three of our clients.
Kokomo Solar 1
Challenge
The City of Kokomo wanted to redevelop part of a brownfield and Superfund site, the former Continental Steel plant that closed in 1986, into a solar farm without disturbing the capped soil.
Our approach
Working with the U.S. EPA, we designed an above-ground, ballasted racking foundation so the installation would not disturb the brownfield’s soil cap. Inovateus delivered the project as turnkey EPC.
Result
The city earns lease revenue and has lower maintenance costs on the site. The project won the EPA Region 5 RENEW Award.
Logansport Municipal Utility
Challenge
After retiring its 100-year-old coal plant, Logansport Municipal Utility wanted to move to renewable energy. The city had never built large-scale solar and was concerned about cost.
Our approach
A 30-year PPA financed by Alchemy Renewable Energy meant no upfront capital costs for the city. The site includes a 45-foot native vegetation buffer, more than 100 community-donated tulip trees and a pollinator seed mix.
Result
Logansport’s first-ever solar energy project.
“We are proud to work with Inovateus Solar to bring the first ever solar energy project to Logansport.”Mayor Chris Martin, City of Logansport
University of Illinois Solar Farm 2.0
Challenge
The University of Illinois contracted Sol Systems to build Solar Farm 2.0. Sol Systems chose Inovateus as EPC for its reputation for sustainable engineering, procurement and construction.
Our approach
Bifacial modules on single-axis trackers, with 6.5 million flowering plants as pollinator ground cover and nearly zero-waste construction.
Result
About 94% of packaging was recycled, keeping 45 tons out of landfill. Students assessed the project’s carbon footprint as part of their studies.
Ready to start your solar project?
Tell us about your site or goals and our team will follow up.
South Bend, IN 46637 development@inovateus.com