Background
New Leaf Energy has grown rapidly as a pure-play developer, moving beyond its legacy in-house EPC structure. Previously, the development engineering team relied on internal spreadsheets with pieced-together data sources on module cost and performance characteristics to create a shortlist of optimal module choices for their projects. They were at a crossroads: invest in their team and try to bolster their data and analytics or find a robust, third-party solution.
Anza, meanwhile, has been building its team and tools to provide a centralized data platform. Their platform delivers accurate, real-time supplier-provided pricing ten quarters out and performance data on the latest modules. This allowed New Leaf to bypass the need to build and maintain a massive in-house database from scratch, instead leveraging Anza’s extensive dataset to streamline decision-making.
Challenge
New Leaf Energy faced hurdles in module selection and project optimization due to the lack of up-to-date pricing and production data. The team struggled to access reliable cost and availability information, as manufacturers often hesitated to share details without an imminent sale. Even though New Leaf’s project buyers typically ran their own valuation analyses, New Leaf still needed a way to confidently set their own project valuations based on the optimal module selection.
They also encountered challenges balancing internal optimization with external buyer requirements. They needed a robust and flexible approach to module selection that allowed for greater agility when accounting for the ever-changing project constraints, supply chain dynamics, and buyer expectations.
Solution
New Leaf Energy integrated Anza’s data and analytics platform directly into its standard operating procedures for solar module selection. The engineering team runs Anza’s platform on baseline project assumptions across different regions and racking types each quarter. By applying filters such as tier-one, UL/IEC listings, and warranty parameters, they generate a refined shortlist of top modules for each market.
This streamlined process has dramatically reduced the module vetting and selection time from approximately 6 hours using an older, more manual spreadsheet tool to just 1 hour using Anza’s automated logic and filtering capabilities—an 83% improvement in active process time. Moreover, by leveraging Anza’s platform to aggregate and organize all the necessary module data, New Leaf can now apply this refined selection process across all its active regions. This change has reduced overall cycle times by weeks throughout the year, further accelerating project development and delivery.
For each region, an engineer presents five potential modules and cost and performance snapshots to the internal team. This structured approach enables regional and technical leads to assess which modules align with project objectives and buyer expectations.
During regular project alignment meetings, developers, engineers, and finance stakeholders analyze Anza’s data output to verify module details, including cost, production, potential balance-of-system (BOS) savings, and realistic availability. This information informs aspects of system design, ensuring that decisions are based on comprehensive and up-to-date market intelligence. If a module doesn’t meet technical requirements or is unproven for local buyers, it is removed from consideration
All validated data—from per-watt module pricing to PAN files—flows into New Leaf’s design library. The engineering team uses these inputs in their pricing and production models, leading to more confident and data-backed internal valuations. This strengthens New Leaf’s position when they receive bids from their project’s buyers. Additionally, optimization efforts fine-tune system size based on site-specific characteristics, further enhancing project value.
“We recognized we couldn’t replicate Anza’s extensive module pricing, technical, and supply chain database inside our own organization. Having a trusted source for module data means we avoid guesswork—especially at the critical late-stage buyer negotiations, where everyone wants reassurance that the numbers stand up under scrutiny. By relying on Anza’s insight into future technology trends, we can propose solutions that aren’t just good for today’s market, but still hold up a year from now when buyers are ready to build. That’s the edge we gain by partnering with a platform provider that always delivers current pricing, performance data, and product availability.”
– Chris Anderson, Senior Vice President, New Leaf Energy
Conclusion
Working with Anza has enabled New Leaf to improve the accuracy of its solar module selection and easily defend decisions to project buyers. By regularly updating their assumptions based on Anza’s data, New Leaf ensures development decisions stay both flexible and grounded in rigorous cost-benefit analysis. Each regional team can now propose solar projects with higher confidence that the modules, pricing, and yields align with what the market can realistically support.
New Leaf Energy’s partnership with Anza demonstrates how accurate data, clear workflows, and ongoing collaboration can solve the classic developer challenge: balancing internal optimization with ever-shifting buyer requirements. Because they no longer need to try maintaining solar module data themselves, the New Leaf team can spend more time doing what they do best—originating, planning, and delivering top-tier solar projects.
Schedule a demo today to learn how Anza can significantly improve your solar & storage development and procurement outcomes.
