Cleantech Consulting: Product Recommendation AND Implementation Too?

In a recent meeting with a San Francisco-based Cleantech (aka sustainability) consultancy, one of the founders said their mission was to work with corporations to help them baseline their current sustainability capabilities as they related to energy, carbon, waste and water.  This was done using a model, copyrighted, that assessed the client's position, followed by recommendations from the consultancy.  The model itself had a fancy name, and appeared to be based on similar models used in the previous decade by consulting companies that had helped them successfully reengineer their client's business processes.

This San Francisco consultancy does not implement product for its clients.  Not surprising.  A host of consultancies in previous decades built global BPR brands specializing in strategic consulting -- McKinsey, Bain, BCG and others.  In the early build-up of the Cleantech industry, sustainability consultancies are no different.  However, that may change.  With the rapid growth of early stage product companies across the Cleantech ecosystem - from intelligent commercial lighting to SaaS-based carbon emissions management products, commercial solar and water re-use and purification solutions -  there is a significant opportunity. 

Cleantech consultancies, like their professional forebearers, are in a strong position to not only influence sustainability product selection, but take-on the implementation.  And, in the process reap the revenue rewards that result.  Let's look at one example.  In the carbon emissions management product sector, there are a number of high profile, venture backed start-ups including Hara, Carbonetworks and Clear Standards (acquired by SAP).  Most of these products are sold as a SaaS-based platform, with subscription pricing 
that gives customer's the ability to itemize and track the inputs (water, electricity, chemicals) and outputs (the product, greenhouse gases, wastewater) that make up the business processes.