Scaling energy projects with real-time data insights

The Challenge

REV’s plans for growth require building numerous smaller, complex energy projects at speed. But with no single repository for project information, inefficiencies impeded their ability to deliver the desired number of projects within the given timeframe.

The Solution

Using Procore, REV combined preconstruction planning, project development, and construction management in one integrated platform, increasing cross-portfolio visibility for better decision making and resource allocation on current and future projects.

The Results

• Visibility into project performance with real-time reporting provides stakeholders portfolio-spanning insights for more informed decision making
• Insights from consolidated data dashboards to drive efficiency and ensure repeat success on future projects
• Increased productivity by centralizing project data and teams, allowing them to double output without increasing labor resources

REV and Procore Define New Economies of Scale

Founded in 2012, REV is a mobile energy services company specializing in the production, supply, transportation, and distribution of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Renewable Natural Gas (RNG).

As an RNG producer, REV is a leader in dairy RNG project development and handles project planning, design, and construction of anaerobic digester systems on dairy farms throughout the Midwest and Northeast. In addition to RNG digestion and compression, REV operates a substantial virtual pipeline providing turn-key service transporting the RNG from regional farms to a centralized injection facility.

REV leverages Procore to map simultaneous projects, consolidating and standardizing processes to move builds forward as one.

According to REV’s Executive Vice President Jake Digel, “REV is building dozens of dairy renewable natural gas projects across the Midwest and Northeast United States. Individually, these are $15-20 million projects, but fairly complex. Procore enables us to integrate various aspects of project development and construction management into one platform, and then do that across multiple projects. By doing that, we can build efficiencies, scale, and look at opportunities for innovation.”

Doing Much, Much More with the Same Size Team

REV is moving at speed—with precision. “At the beginning of 2021, we had no projects in construction,” Thampi explains. “By the end of last year, we had broken ground on eight projects. By 2022, we'd like to have another 16 going into construction, for a total of 24. But our team hasn't grown in size; we're doing this with the same team.”

The comparative newness of the renewables industry can make it difficult for REV to find both skilled labor and knowledgeable vendors. The Procore platform draws the project threads together to a degree that allows a detailed view across the builds and much more efficient use of available resources.

Thampi elaborates, “There are two constraints that we're hitting. One is the shortage of qualified and experienced vendors with capacity. The other is labor. We simply can't find enough sufficiently experienced, capable people to add to our team. Procore lets us attack or overcome both of those challenges by allowing us to look across the portfolio and say, ‘Where do we need to focus our resources? What decisions have to be made right now? What can we hold off until later?’”

Aggregating Data for Success Across the Portfolio and Project Lifecycle

The Procore platform consolidates, clarifies, and standardizes multiple ongoing projects. With jobsite data being captured in real time from the field, stakeholders collaborate across a complete portfolio of projects. Meanwhile, every moment of the build, Procore Analytics aggregates project data for on-demand insights identifying successes across projects for future replication or highlighting areas for improvement.

“The key thing Procore provides,” Thampi summarizes, “is the ability to make deeply informed decisions based on real-time data and information about how our projects are progressing. We can do things to make each project more efficient, but we can also get benefits at the portfolio or program level that we wouldn't otherwise be able to get.”

REV brings each project into Procore as early in the lifecycle of the project as possible, so the data is used during planning and preconstruction, not just construction. As Thampi describes the process, “Once the contracts are signed, we then bring the project into Procore. We decided early on that Procore would be utilized for both development and construction of our projects, not purely construction. And we have found it to be very useful for both stages.”

Data-backed Decision-Making and Real-Time Visibility

Procore’s customizable dashboards provide real-time visibility and clarity into project progress. This can come in handy when the investors want to see current spend.

“We are the developer of record, and we develop on behalf of our investors. So the investor demands a certain level of transparency, accountability and oversight,” Thampi explains. “If we were working on other platforms, we wouldn't be able to provide them real-time information. We could give them a monthly update or maybe even a biweekly update. And that's what we did in the first half of 2021. Until we adopted Procore.”

Providing detailed reports is one thing. Doing it in the moment is something else entirely.

“At a renewables conference, our investors were interested in what was happening in a particular project at that moment. A critical decision had to be made right there and then.” Thampi pauses. “Using my smartphone, I was able to log in to Procore and provide them with the information on the spot, and they made their decision. This would not have been possible if we were using any other platform than Procore.

“Then two weeks ago, we got an unexpected request from our investor to provide a forecast for the coming year on their projects. I went into our Advanced Forecasting tool and did an export. Within 30 seconds, I was able to produce what they needed. This would have taken me half a day before Procore. It’s nuanced, it's powerful, and it's real time.”

As REV is building America’s renewables infrastructure, Procore is helping not only with their portfolio but with their reputation in the market.

“Using Procore speaks to our ability—and our willingness—to identify and utilize the best tools in the market to drive the efficiency and scale of our renewable energy program. And we’re just scratching the surface of Procore.”