Joel Hott Is Hitting the Ground Running as DCE Design's New Business Development Manager

Business development in solar and storage isn't about a polished pitch deck. It's about knowing which developer is stuck on interconnection timing, which EPC just lost an engineering partner mid project, and who is actually going to pick up the phone. That's the environment Joel Hott stepped into when he joined DCE Design as Business Development Manager, and he has wasted no time getting into the thick of it.

His approach has been straightforward: show up, ask good questions, and bring back what he learns. Joel has spent his early weeks meeting with developers, EPCs, and project teams to understand the pressures they're working under, then relaying that insight to DCE Design's engineering team. It's a conversation, not a pitch, and that's exactly the kind of groundwork that creates a trusted partner fast.

Momentum From Day One

Colleagues describe Joel's early impact in similar terms: fast learner, relationship builder, and someone who treats every conversation with a prospective partner as a chance to understand their project, not just close a deal. That mindset lines up well with how DCE Design already operates, and it is a big part of why he has been able to hit the ground running rather than spend months ramping up.

As Joel builds out DCE Design's pipeline, he is also becoming one of the clearest voices for what actually sets the firm apart in a crowded engineering market. That story is worth telling.

A Strategy Built for Real-World Complexity

Solar and storage projects rarely begin with perfect conditions. Across its project portfolio, DCE Design consistently runs into challenges that go beyond standard engineering scope, and these are not isolated to one geography or one client. They reflect the realities developers and EPCs face across the market:

• Limited or outdated site documentation

• Uncertainty in existing electrical infrastructure

• Multiple interconnection pathways with competing constraints

• Utility delays and inconsistent communication

• Gaps between design assumptions and field conditions

Left unmanaged, these issues introduce risk to schedule, cost, and constructability, and can stall a project long before it ever reaches construction. DCE Design's answer is a field-driven design philosophy built on three principles:

• Progress through informed assumptions

• Validation through field engagement

• Flexibility in design to adapt to real conditions

  
  

In practice, that means the team develops informed design assumptions early to keep a project moving, rather than waiting on data that may take weeks to arrive. It means staying in close coordination with field and installation teams so that what gets designed can actually be built efficiently and safely. And it means evaluating multiple interconnection scenarios in parallel instead of locking into one path too soon, so the final solution balances technical optimization with constructability.

That approach has been tested on legacy sites with decades-old infrastructure and minimal documentation, on projects with multiple transformers and competing interconnection scenarios, and on jobs where utility delays threatened to stall momentum entirely. In each case, the same discipline applied: keep the design advancing on informed assumptions, keep the field and the engineering team talking, and stay flexible enough to move fast once real answers arrive.

Expanding Into Battery Storage

DCE Design is also putting that same philosophy to work in one of the industry's fastest-growing segments: battery energy storage systems. As BESS demand accelerates, DCE Design now offers engineering support that spans the full development cycle, including:

• Preliminary site layouts and design development

• Battery storage modeling and dispatch strategy analysis

• Interconnection application packages and 30%, 60%, and IFC engineering deliverables with PE-stamped drawings

• Financial modeling, cash flow analysis, and project return assessments

• EPC and equipment vendor coordination through construction

  
  

It is a natural extension of a firm that has built its reputation on being a practical, responsive partner from early development through construction, and it is exactly the kind of expanded capability Joel is now carrying into conversations with developers and owners.

Where DCE Design Goes From Here

Project complexity in this industry is not going away. If anything, it is increasing as infrastructure ages and project timelines tighten. Success requires more than sound technical design. It requires a partner who can navigate uncertainty and maintain momentum while also aligning designs with real-world execution.

With Joel Hott helping lead that message into the market, DCE Design is well positioned to bring that advantage to more developers and EPCs and to keep proving that adaptability, and field-driven insight are what keep projects moving forward with confidence.