Independent Energy & Infrastructure Advisory · Charleston, SC

Where the Lowcountry meets a cleaner current.

Independent advisory for energy, storage, and resilient infrastructure — from strategy through deployment. We help owners, developers, investors, ports, and institutions evaluate, commercialize, and deploy the next generation of clean energy systems. We work for you — strategy that carries all the way through to outcomes.

PV · Storage · Controls Trained
20+ Years Experience
Independent — Not an Installer
Folly Beach Based
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A Think & Do Practice

Strategy is where we start — not where we stop.

Plenty of firms will write you a report. Fewer can size a battery, model the tariff, structure the grant, vet the installer, and stay on through commissioning. Tidal works the whole arc — independent strategy that sees the entire system, coordinates the right people, and carries through to what actually gets built and how it performs.

01

Assess

Technical & commercial due diligence, market assessment, feasibility, and independent evaluation of the real opportunity.

02

Advise

Strategy, system design, economics and financing structure, incentives, and the plan that fits your goals and constraints.

03

Deploy

Partner and contractor coordination, owner's advisory, interconnection, procurement, and execution through commissioning.

04

Sustain

Monitoring, optimization, resilience planning, and long-term advisory as systems, markets, and incentives evolve.

What We Do

One coast. Every system that touches it.

From a dock outlet to a utility-scale battery, from an island home to a working port — Tidal plans, coordinates, and future-proofs the full range of clean energy and resilient infrastructure. Independent, transparent, built to deploy and to last.

☀︎

Generation & Shore Power

Solar PV, solar canopies, vertical & dock-mounted solar, floating solar, backup power, and 480V shore power for facilities and vessels.

Solar PVCanopy & FloatingShore PowerBackup

Storage & Microgrids

BESS sizing & feasibility, BESS+solar pairing, residential & community microgrids, off-grid, hybrid & backup systems for homes and critical loads, demand-charge reduction, long-duration storage.

BESSOff-Grid & IslandMicrogridsLong-Duration

EV, Boat & Fleet Charging

EV charging, DC fast charging, electric boat & vessel charging, terminal-tractor & yard-fleet electrification, BESS-buffered charging.

EV / DCFCBoat ChargingFleetBESS + Charging

Maritime & Offshore

Offshore BESS, offshore charging & microgrids, cold ironing, yacht & large-vessel systems, maritime DERMS, BESS barges, towboat/barge model.

Offshore BESSMaritime DERMSBESS BargesCold Ironing

Waterfront Electrification

Dock & pier electrical upgrades, floating-infrastructure power, panel capacity, tidal & surge protection, coastal-construction permitting.

Dock PowerPanel CapacitySurge ProtectionPermitting

Grants & Incentives

EPA Clean Ports, RAISE, USDA REAP, IRA §48C & §48 ITC, direct pay, MACRS, and SC state incentives — screened and coordinated.

EPA Clean PortsRAISE / REAPITC / Direct PaySC Incentives

Mobile, Events & Festivals

Clean, quiet power for festivals, tours & outdoor events — battery generators, solar+storage, EV charging, genset displacement, temporary microgrids.

Mobile BESSFestival PowerTouring DecarbTemp Microgrids

Storm Resilience & Backup

Hurricane prep, backup power for critical loads, generator replacement, surge-aware siting, and post-storm recovery coordination.

Hurricane PrepCritical BackupGenerator SwapRecovery

Sustainability & Strategy

Decarbonization roadmaps, energy monitoring & dashboards, EMS & controls, optimization, and sustainability reporting over time.

DecarbonizationMonitoringEMSReporting
Map My Site's Opportunities →
Advisory Services

High-value consulting, across the whole ladder.

Technical & Commercial Due Diligence Market & Feasibility Assessments Commercial & Go-to-Market Strategy Independent Owner's Advisory Technology Evaluation & Selection Investment & Transaction Advisory Federal Funding & Grant Strategy Partnership & Ecosystem Development Executive & Board Advisory Research, Analysis & Modeling Public-Private Partnerships Commercialization Strategy
Who We Serve

If it's on the water, it's our territory.

From luxury island homes to working ports, the same coastal forces hit every waterfront — we bring the same independent, honest strategy to all of them, scaled to the stakes.

Coastal & Island Homes

Luxury estates, island cabins, off-grid and backup-focused residences, and resilient second homes — whole-home solar, battery backup, hybrid and fully off-grid systems, residential microgrids, EV charging, and storm-ready resilience. Remote consulting for absentee owners.

Marinas & Boatyards

Shore power upgrades, demand-charge reduction, EV boat charging, solar-ready facility planning, and storm resilience for the docks.

Harbors & Ports

BESS & microgrid feasibility for critical loads, reefer-yard electrification, yard-tractor charging, diesel displacement, shore power.

Vessel & Fleet Operators

Battery-electric vessel infrastructure, towboat & barge electrification, BESS barges, maritime DERMS, charging strategy for working fleets.

Festivals, Events & Touring

Festival & event producers, music tours, outdoor shows, and coastal celebrations cutting emissions, noise, and fuel cost with cleaner power.

Commercial & Industrial

High-cost waterfront operators managing demand, uptime, and sustainability goals across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic coast.

We advise across the ecosystem:
UtilitiesIndependent Power ProducersDevelopersEPCsOEMs & TechnologyPorts & TerminalsMunicipalitiesPrivate EquityInfrastructure InvestorsFamily OfficesGovernment & AgenciesUniversitiesStartups
How It Works

An advisor-led process — built around you, not a product.

Three phases, transparent pricing, no pressure. Engage where you need to and step up only when it makes sense.

01
typically $750–$2,500

Assess

  • Electrical & panel-capacity audit
  • Shore power & vessel-charging readiness
  • Demand charge & utility-rate analysis
  • Storm resilience & backup-power gaps
  • Grant & incentive eligibility screening
  • Written, prioritized roadmap
02
typically $3,000–$15,000

Design & Coordinate

  • Shore power planning (480V/100A+)
  • BESS & microgrid feasibility
  • Solar, storage & charging system design
  • Contractor vetting & bid coordination
  • Interconnection pre-application support
  • EPA Clean Ports & grant screening
03
monthly retainer

Ongoing Advisory

  • Energy monitoring & performance review
  • Hurricane & storm-season prep
  • Regulatory & incentive updates
  • Capital planning & phased investment
  • Vendor & contractor management
  • Priority response & on-call advisory
Why It Pays

Lower cost. Higher uptime. Less waste. Happier slips.

Reduce cost

Cut demand charges, fuel, and energy spend through right-sized storage, solar, and rate strategy.

Improve cashflow

Sequence capital with grants, incentives, and phased investment so projects pay their own way.

Boost uptime

Backup power and microgrids keep critical loads — refrigeration, comms, fueling — running through outages.

Raise satisfaction

Reliable charging, clean power, and modern amenities keep tenants, members, and crews coming back.

Partner & Referral Network

Built on the tide of good relationships.

Tidal grows through trusted partners, not cold pipelines. We welcome affiliate, sponsor, broker, and reseller relationships across the coastal energy ecosystem — moving in both directions.

Refer Work to Tidal

Brokers, contractors, and advisors who send qualified coastal energy opportunities can structure transparent referral arrangements. Clean terms, fair splits.

Let Tidal Refer You

We route work to vetted installers, EPCs, OEMs, and finance partners across solar, storage, charging, and marine systems. Fit the network and we send business your way.

Sponsor & Affiliate

Structured affiliate, product, and sponsor relationships tied to coastal energy content, events, and ecosystem initiatives — with clear value exchange.

Agent & Reseller Network

A growing network of independent agents, brokers, and resellers earning through Tidal engagements. Coming Soon

From the Field

Real coast. Real work.

Marinas, ports, working waterfronts, and vessels across the Lowcountry and Southeast — where strategy meets saltwater.

Solar, Coastal-Style — Folly Beach, SC
Port & Terminal — SC Ports, Wando
Power Infrastructure — Working Port
Marina & Shore Power — Folly Beach, SC
Working Waterfront — Coastal South Carolina
Vessels & Fleet — Harbor Tug
Coastal Resilience — Morris Island Lighthouse
Waterfront Electrification — Coastal Solar Canopy
Boats & Charging — Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe
Working Waterfront — Coastal South Carolina
Coastal Conservation — Folly Beach, SC
In the Field — Ground-Mount Solar
Port & Terminal — Container Vessel, Savannah River
Global Field Perspective — Passau, Germany
Global Field Perspective — Passau, Germany
Global Field Perspective — Regensburg, Germany
Global Field Perspective — Wörthersee, Austria
Global Field Perspective — Wörthersee, Austria
Independent Advice · Real Lowcountry Expertise

We work for you — not the installer.

Tidal Energy Advisory is led by Andrew Dunn, who brings nearly two decades of infrastructure strategy experience — including direct work with ports, maritime logistics operators, shore power systems, battery-electric vessel infrastructure, and grid-scale storage.

Senior-level strategy that puts your cost, resilience, and long-term value first — coordinated with vetted contractors and grounded in how coastal systems actually behave. How compensation works varies by engagement: sometimes a straight advisory fee, sometimes a commission or referral arrangement with a specific vendor. Either way, you'll know it before you act on a recommendation.

The background runs deep and broad: an MPA and graduate work in sustainability and infrastructure, training across solar PV (NABCEP PV Technical Sales), home energy rating (HERS), and dozens of OEM battery, EMS, and energy-modeling platforms — plus professional training in negotiation, business, and diplomacy. The result is an advisor who can sit equally with a homeowner, a port authority, a utility, an investor, or a manufacturer, translate cleanly between them, and keep the whole system — people, economics, and the water itself — moving in the same direction.

Trained & CertifiedNABCEP PV Sales · HERS · OEM BESS/EMS
20+ yrsEnergy & Infrastructure
IndependentNo product sales
LowcountryFolly Beach based
Common Questions

What coastal operators ask us most.

What does Tidal Energy Advisory actually do?
We're an independent coastal & maritime energy advisor. We assess your site, design the right mix of solar, storage, microgrids, shore power, and charging, coordinate vetted contractors and grants, and stay on to optimize it. Compensation varies by engagement, and any commission or vendor relationship relevant to your project is disclosed upfront.
How much does a coastal energy assessment cost?
A Phase 1 assessment typically runs $750–$2,500 depending on site complexity, and includes an infrastructure audit, rate & demand-charge analysis, resilience review, incentive screening, and a written, prioritized roadmap.
Are you affiliated with solar companies or installers?
Not in a way that limits your options. Contractors compete for your work on the merits, and strategy comes first, always. Compensation varies by engagement — sometimes a flat advisory fee, sometimes a commission or referral tied to a specific vendor — and it's disclosed before you act on any recommendation.
Do you work with marinas, ports, and harbor operators?
Yes — marinas, boatyards, yacht clubs, harbor authorities, port facilities, and vessel/fleet operators are core clients. We handle shore power, BESS and microgrid feasibility, vessel and fleet charging, reefer-yard and yard-tractor electrification, BESS barges, maritime DERMS, and storm resilience.
Do you provide clean power for festivals, events, and touring?
Yes — it's a growing part of what we do. We help festivals, outdoor events, and touring acts plan cleaner mobile power: battery/BESS generators, solar-plus-storage, EV and equipment charging, diesel-generator displacement, and temporary microgrids. We start with honest assessment and a realistic roadmap rather than greenwashing.
What grants and incentives are available for coastal & marine energy?
Depending on your facility: EPA Clean Ports Program, RAISE grants, USDA REAP, IRA §48 ITC and §48C, direct pay for nonprofits and public entities, MACRS depreciation, and South Carolina state incentives. We screen what you qualify for and coordinate the applications.
Do you handle offshore and vessel energy systems?
Yes. Beyond shoreside work we advise on offshore BESS, offshore charging and microgrids, cold-ironing shore power, yacht and large-vessel energy systems, maritime DERMS and controls, BESS barges, and plug-and-play towboat-and-barge electrification.
Do you design off-grid and island home energy systems?
Yes — coastal and island homes are a specialty, from luxury estates to off-grid island cabins. We design whole-home solar, battery backup, hybrid and fully off-grid systems, and residential microgrids that keep properties running independently through outages and storms — quiet, clean, and resilient. We also advise on resilient, energy-smart coastal communities where multiple homes or a neighborhood share resilience and generation. These are often substantial projects, and independent strategy keeps the design honest and the spend right-sized.
What areas do you serve?
We're based in Folly Beach and serve the greater Charleston Lowcountry for residential and small-commercial work, with maritime and commercial engagements across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic coast.
Get Started

Let's talk about your site.

Tell us what you're working with and we'll be in touch within one business day for a free 20-minute intro call. No commitment, no pressure, no sales pitch.

Free 20-minute intro call — no sales pitch
Independent advisory — we work for you, not the installer
Senior-level: 20+ years, cross-trained across PV, storage, and controls
Marinas, ports, vessels, homes, events & STRs welcome
Serving Charleston, the Lowcountry & the Southeast coast