Dakota discusses how strategic partnerships and brand collaborations have played a key role in scaling their business and winning RFPs in the growing community solar industry. He explains their bolt-on partnership model, which helps partners increase client value and build new revenue streams, emphasizing the concept of “synergy” as a driver of efficiency and success. By co-submitting proposals with trusted partners, they’ve secured major deals, expanded brand reach, and created a replicable growth engine called “partnership velocity.”
(0:02 – 0:28) Introduction and Topic Overview
Dakota Malone introduces himself as the co-founder of Community Solar Authority, a company that has unlocked over $20 million in future electricity savings. He explains that the goal of the podcast is to explain their business in a digestible format. In this episode, he focuses on the importance of partnerships, particularly how strategic brand collaborations have helped them win RFPs (Requests for Proposals) and RFQs (Requests for Qualifications). At the heart of this strategy is one key concept: synergy.
(0:28 – 0:57) Synergy as the Core of Growth
Malone dives into what synergy really means to him and the company. Far from being empty corporate jargon, he describes synergy as the highest form of efficiency. He shares their vision of nationwide adoption of community solar, and how this vision can only be realized by working with top-tier strategic partners. Instead of wasting energy in competition, they focus on redirecting that energy toward collaborative, value-building efforts—an approach that has proven essential for scaling the business.
(0:57 – 1:32) The Bolt-On Partnership Model
For the past six years, Community Solar Authority has offered a “bolt-on” community solar partnership model to other companies. This model enhances client value, builds goodwill, helps partners win new business, and generates an entirely new revenue stream through a revenue share structure. Dakota emphasizes that the company has a full “growth playbook” designed for long-term partnerships. With the solar industry experiencing explosive growth, he argues that collaboration is far more effective than going it alone.
(1:32 – 1:54) Advanced Collaboration: Co-Submitting RFPs
Malone introduces an advanced strategy from their playbook: co-submitting RFPs alongside strategic partners. This level of collaboration is reserved for partners who have a strong history with Community Solar Authority and understand the value of brand alignment. Importantly, the success of this approach depends on having a strong, functional working relationship; without that, the strategy doesn’t work.
(1:55 – 2:08) Real-World Success with Co-Submission
Looking ahead, Malone predicts an increase in co-submitted RFPs due to their effectiveness. He shares a recent success story from the summer: winning a large municipal RFP through a co-submission with a trusted partner. The deal was significant, and the client was specifically looking for access to community solar solutions on a scale that few providers could offer.
(2:09 – 2:30) Why the Co-Submission Strategy Works
According to Malone, the municipal client recognized the value in bringing together two strong brands. Their decision to award the contract to Community Solar Authority and its partner came down to the combined expertise and capacity presented in the co-submission. This approach not only solved the client’s needs but also showcased a powerful new strategy from the company’s playbook.
(2:30 – 2:48) Building Brand Equity and Momentum
Co-submitting RFPs does more than just win contracts—it also increases brand awareness, builds a strong reputation, and attracts new business. These case studies can be leveraged to draw in additional clients, creating a flywheel effect. As more momentum builds, the process becomes easier to scale across additional partnerships.
(2:49 – 3:05) Introducing “Partnership Velocity”
As partnerships become more efficient, Malone introduces the concept of “partnership velocity.” This idea describes how one successful deal can lead to multiple others: one becomes three, three becomes nine, and so on. This exponential growth is the reason why just 20% of their partners now drive 80% of their business—they’ve tapped into the next stage of collaborative growth.
(3:06 – 3:33) The Moment for Synergy is Now
With new markets opening and increased capacity for community solar development on the horizon, Malone insists there has never been a better time to embrace synergy. He invites businesses looking for a turnkey, bolt-on solar solution to partner with Community Solar Authority. Interested parties can book a call through their website: communitysolarauthority.com/partner
(3:33 – 3:47) Closing and Contact Information
Dakota thanks listeners for tuning in and hints at upcoming public announcements related to their latest RFP wins. He encourages anyone with questions to connect with him on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/dakotamalone. He wraps up the episode with a promise to return with more updates in the next installment.
To listen to the full episode… go to Spotify to listen.
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Q: Why does creditworthiness matter in anchor-tenant approvals?
A: Community Solar Authority explains that lenders and developers rely on financially solid anchors to de-risk projects. High-credit tenants secure better terms, faster approvals, and stable long-term savings through community-solar participation.
