Module 1 Know your customer and market 4 hAnalyse
Every sound business in renewable energy for homes, offices, malls, multiplexes begins with one clear customer and one clear problem. In São Paulo and the wider state, demand is real but crowded, so a small, well-described customer group wins before a broad one.
- In renewable energy for homes, offices, malls, multiplexes: Segment by building type and roof or land available; bill history shows the size.
- Write the customer in one sentence: a building owner. Add the place, the moment of need and what they use today.
- List five rivals or substitutes within reach. For each, record price, strength, weakness and how people reach it.
- Interview at least eight real customers with open questions. Record exact words, not your summary.
- Count the market in units: how many kilowatts-peak installed could one area buy in a month? Use two public sources and your own count, then take the lower figure.
- Choose one first segment and say why the others wait.
Worked example. Weak: 'Everyone needs a solar or other clean-power system.' Strong: 'Our first customer is a building owner within 8 km of the centre, who today pays R$ 5.280 per kilowatt-peak installed and complains about delay. We target 12 kilowatts-peak installed a month by month three.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: ten customers are interviewed for renewable energy for homes, offices, malls, multiplexes. Seven say price, two say speed, one says trust. Question: which first message do you write, and which interview record backs it? Model answer: lead with the kilowatt-peak installed price and speed promise, keep trust proof as the second line, and cite the seven price answers by date.
Activity. Write the one-sentence customer, a five-row rival table and eight interview records. Share them with a peer for a challenge round.
Standard to meet. Define a specific customer, build a rival table with prices, and trace every claim to an interview or a source.
Module 2 Rules, registration and data duties in Brazil 4 hUnderstand
Brazil asks every trader to be visible and accountable. Know which register, tax regime and sector rules apply before the first sale, and check each against the current official text.
- In renewable energy for homes, offices, malls, multiplexes: Grid connection follows the energy regulator rules; installations need certified equipment and qualified electricians.
- Choose a legal form: micro-entrepreneur (MEI) only if your activity appears on the official MEI list, or a company registered with a CNPJ. Regulated activities need their sector authorisation first. Check the current limits and lists on the official portal.
- Learn the tax regime that fits your size and write down which taxes you will collect and pay, and when.
- Find the sector rules for renewable energy for homes, offices, malls, multiplexes: licences, inspections, professional registers. List each with the office that issues it and the renewal date.
- Personal data of customers falls under Brazil's data protection law (LGPD). Collect only what you need, say why, keep it safe, and name who answers questions.
- Consumer law gives buyers clear rights on information, returns and complaints. Put your terms in plain Portuguese.
Worked example. Checklist for a new renewable energy for homes, offices, malls, multiplexes trader: 1) legal form (CNPJ, or MEI only if your activity is on the official list); 2) city operating licence; 3) sector licence or register; 4) tax set-up; 5) privacy notice; 6) written terms. Each has an owner and a date.
Second worked scenario. Scenario: a neighbour says registration can wait until the first R$ 24.000 of sales. Question: what do you do? Model answer: do not delay; write the compliance table first, confirm the register, tax and sector licence with the official office, and start only where the table shows no open blocker.
Activity. Build your own six-line compliance table for your first location. Mark what is done, what is pending and who confirms it.
Standard to meet. Cite an official source for every line, assume nothing, and date every pending item. Local law always wins over this course.
Module 3 Design the offer 4 hCreate
An offer states what the customer gets, how well, by when and at what price. For a solar or other clean-power system, the offer must make the quality visible and the next step easy.
- In renewable energy for homes, offices, malls, multiplexes: Offer a sized system with a clear range of expected generation and payback.
- Describe the core offer in three lines: what is delivered (a solar or other clean-power system), the standard it meets, and the time it takes.
- Add one proof for each promise: a sample, a test result, a guarantee or a customer record.
- Price from cost upward and from customer value downward, then pick a price inside both.
- Write a simple one-page terms sheet: what is included, what is extra, how to cancel.
- Create two options at most, so choice stays easy.
Worked example. Offer: 'A solar or other clean-power system, delivered within agreed time, checked against a written standard, price R$ 4.800 per kilowatt-peak installed. Proof: a dated record the customer can check and sign. Changes or cancellation by written agreement before work begins.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: a customer asks for a discount from R$ 4.800 to R$ 4.320 per kilowatt-peak installed. Question: decide with numbers. Model answer: contribution falls from R$ 1.400 to R$ 920 per kilowatt-peak installed; offer an extra of value (for example faster service) before cutting price, and accept only if the lower contribution still clears break-even.
Longer notes. Choose the segment first: a house roof, a small office, a mall or a multiplex, since each has different loads and roof space. Collect twelve months of electricity bills and read the monthly kWh. Visit the roof to measure free area and note shading, tilt and structure. Draw the layout and list panels, inverter, protection and cables. Estimate yearly generation from a local sun-hours figure and show your assumptions. Calculate cost, savings and payback in years. Tell the customer in writing that grid-connection and credit rules can change, and get the utility's connection steps before you quote.
Extra worked example. A house uses 600 kWh a month. Assume 5 sun hours a day and an efficiency of 0,8; with the R$ 1 tariff these are worked-example values. One kilowatt-peak makes 5 x 30 x 0,8 = 120 kWh, so the size is 600 / 120 = 5 kilowatt-peak. At R$ 4.800 per kilowatt-peak the price is R$ 24.000; variable cost is 5 x R$ 3.400 = R$ 17.000, leaving R$ 7.000. At R$ 1 per kWh the saving is R$ 600 a month, so payback is R$ 24.000 / R$ 7.200 = 3,3 years. A 900 kWh bill needs 900 / 120 = 7,5 kilowatt-peak.
Activity. Write the offer card, the proof list and the terms sheet. Test them with three customers and note every point where they hesitated.
Standard to meet. Check that promise, proof and price are consistent, fit the terms on one page, and record three customer reactions.
Module 4 Run the work step by step 5 hApply
Good operations make results repeatable. For renewable energy for homes, offices, malls, multiplexes, write each step so a new person could follow it on their first day, and measure each step.
- In renewable energy for homes, offices, malls, multiplexes: Follow a survey, design, approval, install, commissioning and monitoring sequence.
- Map the process from first contact to paid and closed. Typical stages: enquiry, quote, preparation, delivery of the kilowatt-peak installed, check, payment, follow-up.
- Name the key resource at each stage: a site survey and a sized design. Note what happens if it is missing.
- Write a one-page standard procedure per stage: who, what, tool, time, record.
- Choose three measures: speed, quality (errors per 100) and customer rating. Review them every week.
- Fix the cause of a defect, not the symptom. Ask 'why' five times and record the answer.
Worked example. Stage record: 'Prepare. Owner: lead. Time: 30 min. Tool: checklist. Record: signed sheet. Defect found on 1 of 5 kilowatts-peak installed last week; cause: missing check on a site survey and a sized design; fix: add check at start, review next Friday.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: of 20 kilowatts-peak installed last month, 1 had a defect traced to a site survey and a sized design. Question: what is the defect rate and what is your first action? Model answer: about 5 defects per 100; stop the cause (add a check at the start), correct affected customers, log the cause, and re-measure next week.
Activity. Draw the process map and write procedures for the two riskiest stages. Run each once and time it.
Standard to meet. Write procedures a stranger can follow, record weekly numbers for each measure, and trace one defect to a root cause.
Module 5 Safety, quality and risk 4 hEvaluate
The most serious risk in this field is poor roof work or a wrong size. A calm, written risk routine protects people first and the business second.
- In renewable energy for homes, offices, malls, multiplexes: Work at height and DC electrical hazards need fall protection and isolation procedures.
- List ten things that could go wrong. Score each for how likely (1 to 5) and how serious (1 to 5). Multiply and sort.
- For the top five, choose a control: remove the hazard, replace it, guard it, train people, or use protective gear, in that order of preference.
- Write who does what in an emergency, and rehearse it once a quarter.
- Keep an incident and near-miss log. Near-misses are free lessons.
- Check that insurance and legal duties match the risk you actually carry.
Worked example. Risk row: 'Hazard: poor roof work or a wrong size. Likelihood 3, severity 5, score 15. Control: written check before each kilowatt-peak installed, trained staff, log sheet. Owner: site lead. Review monthly.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: a near-miss occurs: poor roof work or a wrong size nearly happened but no one was hurt. Question: what do you do in the next 24 hours? Model answer: make safe, record the event, ask the five whys, add or tighten one control, brief the team, and set a review date; near-misses count as lessons, not blame.
Activity. Build a ten-row risk register and a one-page emergency plan. Run a ten-minute drill with a peer and note two improvements.
Standard to meet. Rank controls by preference for the top risks, run the drill, and start the log. Where a regulation applies, follow the official rule.
Module 6 People, skills and service 4 hApply
People deliver the promise. Define roles, train to a standard and give feedback in the open.
- In renewable energy for homes, offices, malls, multiplexes: Train installers on mounting, wiring, testing and fire safety.
- Write a role card for each person: purpose, five tasks, the standard for each, and who to ask for help.
- Train by showing, doing with support, then doing alone with a check. Record sign-off per task.
- Set service rules for answering customers: reply times, tone, how to apologise and fix.
- Hold a ten-minute team check each day: yesterday's problem, today's plan, one risk.
- Build a growth path: what a new person can do in week 1, month 3 and month 12.
Worked example. Training record: 'Task: process a complaint. Shown 2 May; done with support 4 May; done alone 8 May, checked: apology, fix, follow-up call. Signed by lead.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: a new hire completes training but a customer complaint shows a skipped step. Question: whose gap is it? Model answer: first the system: check the role card, the training sign-off and the checklist; then coach the person and fix the document so the step cannot be skipped.
Longer notes. Organise an installation crew with a lead, electricians and roof helpers. Write a safety card covering harness points, no work in rain, panel handling and switching off the circuit. Practise a lockout sequence: isolate, tag, test with a meter, then proceed. Assign who measures, who fixes rails and who wires, and have the lead check every crimp and label. Train a site supervisor for malls and multiplexes, where permits, night work and tenants need coordination. Verify skills with a field test, not a quiz alone. Keep a signed checklist per site and a log of near misses. Confirm with a safety technician which training each crew member needs for work at height and live circuits.
Extra worked example. A crew of three installs the 5 kilowatt-peak house in 2 days. Daily pay is R$ 350 for the lead, R$ 300 for the electrician and R$ 180 for the helper, so a day costs R$ 830; these rates are worked-example figures. The job costs 2 x R$ 830 = R$ 1.660. Per kilowatt-peak that is R$ 1.660 / 5 = R$ 332, a small part of the R$ 3.400 variable cost. At 20 kilowatt-peak a month, labour is 20 x R$ 332 = R$ 6.640. Compare this with the quote to check your margin.
Activity. Write two role cards and a training plan for one new hire. Role-play a hard customer conversation twice and review.
Standard to meet. Write role cards with measurable standards, show the sign-off steps in training, and write the service rules in plain words.
Module 7 Money: cost, price and break-even 5 hAnalyse
A business lives or dies on a few numbers. Know your contribution per unit, your fixed costs and the volume you need.
- In renewable energy for homes, offices, malls, multiplexes: Show payback from bill savings after maintenance and inverter replacement.
- Contribution per kilowatt-peak installed = price minus variable cost. Fixed costs are paid whether you sell or not.
- Break-even units = fixed cost divided by contribution. Plan to pass it by a safe margin.
- Make a 12-month cash plan. Cash timing matters as much as profit: customers may pay late, suppliers may want money first.
- Keep money for business and money for the owner apart.
- Test the plan: what if sales fall by a quarter, or cost rises by a tenth?
Worked example. Worked example, all figures in reais: price R$ 4.800, variable cost R$ 3.400, contribution R$ 1.400 per kilowatt-peak installed. Fixed cost R$ 25.000 a month. Break-even = R$ 25.000 / R$ 1.400 = 17,86, so 18 kilowatts-peak installed a month. At 20 kilowatts-peak installed a month, profit = R$ 1.400 x 20 - R$ 25.000 = R$ 3.000. These are teaching figures that belong to this example only; later examples and the case study use their own figures. Use your own.
Second worked scenario. Scenario: sales fall to 15 kilowatts-peak installed a month. Question: what is the monthly result? Model answer: R$ 1.400 x 15 - R$ 25.000 = R$ -4.000; compare with break-even of 18 kilowatts-peak installed and decide whether to cut fixed cost or raise volume first. Teaching figures only.
Activity. Build your own table: price, variable cost, contribution, fixed cost, break-even and a downside case at 75% of sales. Show it to a peer or mentor.
Standard to meet. Calculate correctly, give every figure a source or mark it as an assumption, and show a downside case.
Module 8 Grow, measure and renew 4 hEvaluate
Growth should follow proof. Measure, learn, then add; and keep returning to the customer.
- In renewable energy for homes, offices, malls, multiplexes: Grow through maintenance and monitoring contracts.
- Pick one growth lever at a time: new customers, a higher repeat rate, a better price, or a new offer.
- Set one measurable target for 90 days, such as 'raise repeat customers from 20% to 30%'.
- Ask each customer how they found you, and record it. Spend more where the record shows results.
- Review monthly: numbers, defects, complaints, cash. Write three decisions each time.
- Plan the renewal of licences, equipment and skills a year ahead.
Worked example. 90-day plan: 'Lever: repeat customers. Action: follow-up call after every kilowatt-peak installed. Target: repeat rate from 20% to 30%. Check: weekly count. Review date: day 45 and day 90.'
Second worked scenario. Scenario: you can add 4 kilowatts-peak installed a month by one of two levers: a follow-up call to past customers or a price rise of R$ 480 to R$ 5.280. Question: how do you choose? Model answer: test the cheaper reversible lever first (the call), measure for 30 days, and only then try the price change, so you can tell which one worked.
Longer notes. Follow installed kWp, jobs delivered on schedule and customers whose bills fell as predicted. Compare predicted generation with the meter reading after three months and explain gaps, such as dirt or shade. Plan a cleaning and inspection visit every year. Rate segments by profit per job and days on site: houses, offices, malls. Prepare a proposal template for larger clients with a monthly savings table. Compare equipment suppliers on warranty, delivery time and defects found. Ask satisfied customers to introduce neighbours or tenants, and keep what was promised in writing.
Extra worked example. In this worked example a 6 kilowatt-peak system was forecast at 750 kWh a month and the meter shows 690 kWh, which is 92% of the forecast. The gap is 60 kWh, or R$ 60 a month at an assumed round tariff of R$ 1 per kWh, so R$ 720 over a year. A cleaning visit at an assumed R$ 300 is small against the margin of 6 x R$ 1.400 = R$ 8.400 on that sale. Explain the gap to the customer in writing before the next bill, using the real tariff.
Activity. Write a 90-day plan with one target, three actions and a review date. Present it in five minutes and take questions.
Standard to meet. Set a measurable, dated target, break the actions down small enough to start this week, and put the review date in the calendar.
