Business View Magazine | December 2019

246 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2019 established a rapidly growing solar/renewables group focused on designing utility scale solar farms and providing alternative energy solutions for the commercial real estate industry. “I really believe solar can be the solution,” says Derhake. But, as he explains, Partner doesn’t view sustainability as “a religion”; the aim is to find the sweet spot where it makes great financial sense for their clients. “It blows your mind to hear it, but solar is less expensive than coal. In terms of the levelized cost of energy, meaning the cost to build and operate the coal plant compared to the cost to build and operate the solar farm, solar is cheaper.” That wasn’t always the case, as Derhake explains: “In the last five years, solar panels, like flat-screen TVs, have gotten cheaper and cheaper. It’s really changing the solar industry. You do not need subsidies anymore. And we’re part of that trend too; our designs are getting more efficient and that reduces the cost of energy from solar.” Partner monitors the construction of a building in New York City Partner solar engineers oversee the installation of a solar panel in Dubai