Owner’s Engineering vs. Lender’s Engineering
Which one is right for your factory?
A solar‑factory investment succeeds only when both the project owner and the project financier see risks clearly and act on the right information at the right moment. Owner’s Engineering (OE) and Lender’s Engineering (LE) are two complementary services that do exactly that—each serving a different stakeholder, each demanding a different mindset, and both sitting at the core of RCT Solutions’ independent advisory practice.
Snapshot comparison
| Owner’s Engineering (on behalf of the Project Owner) | Lender’s Engineering (on behalf of the Project Financier) |
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Scope. Deploys experts from day one to steer the project from concept through commissioning.
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Scope. Reviews and challenges project deliverables at pre‑agreed milestones to verify that assumptions, costs and schedules remain bankable.
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Role. Operates as an extension of the owner’s team—hands‑on and decision‑supportive.
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Role. Acts as an independent auditor for the financier, identifying technical and commercial risks plus mitigation strategies.
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Objective. Maximize lifetime profitability and operational resilience for the asset owner.
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Objective. Safeguard the lender’s capital and unlock disbursements with confidence.
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Authority. Advises; final decisions rest with the project owner.
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Authority. Provides binding recommendations that drive financing terms and conditions.
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Breadth. Goes beyond engineering—strategy, market entry, procurement, vendor qualification and financial modeling are all in‑scope.
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Breadth. Focuses on compliance, contracts, performance tests and risk allocation in line with international lending standards.
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When to engage an Owner’s Engineer
Owner’s Engineering represents an embedded partnership with the project owner from the first concept sketch through commissioning. Our OE team supplies the seasoned technical and commercial resources the owner may not have in-house, effectively acting as an extension of the owner’s staff. Because we sit on the sponsor’s side of the table, every recommendation is framed around the plant’s lifetime profitability and operational resilience. The project owner remains the ultimate decision-maker, yet gains a sounding board that can also cover strategic questions such as market positioning, commercialization pathways, risk-mitigation planning, financial modeling, procurement tactics, and vendor selection—far beyond the narrowly “technical” remit many people associate with engineering services.
Green‑ or brown‑field feasibility studies
Technology & vendor benchmarking
Front‑End Engineering Design (FEED) and utility‑load planning
EPC contract negotiation and construction monitoring
Performance testing and plant acceptance
When to engage an Owner’s Engineer
Lender’s Engineering, by contrast, serves the financing institutions that provide debt or other capital to the same project. Here, our engineers enter at predefined milestones to review, verify, and—when necessary—challenge the owner’s work. The mission is to surface any technical or execution risks that could jeopardize repayment and to propose concrete mitigation strategies before capital is released. By giving independent, data-backed assurances on design integrity, schedule realism, and cost discipline, an LE assignment ultimately raises the financier’s confidence and can accelerate financial close.
Pre‑financial‑close technical due diligence
Independent review of FEED, CAPEX/OPEX and yield models
Construction drawdown certifications
Hand‑over & acceptance audits
Periodic operational performance reviews
One partner, two perspectives
RCT Solutions is uniquely positioned to deliver both services under one roof:
Independent by design. No ties to OEMs or EPCs—our only agenda is project success.
34 GW+ track record for Lenders Engineering. From 500 MW fabs to multi‑GW giga‑factories, our designs and due‑diligence reports have cleared more than 20 international lenders’ panels.
Bankability built‑in. Every drawing, cost line and performance test we produce aligns with IFC, ECA and export‑credit lending frameworks from day one.
Can one team do both?
No. To keep independence, OE and LE are separate mandates. RCT can serve as OE or as LE—not both on the same project.
Which should start first?
Begin OE as feasibility hands over to engineering. Engage LE before financial close for initial due diligence, then continue monitoring through commissioning.
Do they use the same data?
Yes, but for different purposes: OE uses data to direct and de-risk execution; LE uses the same data to verify assumptions and certify milestones for approvals.
What do we need from you to start?
Target geography, product focus, capacity ambitions, and any site or policy constraints already known.
