Kuma Science services
Second opinion and technical review
Check a study before you decide, fund or build
Contact usAn independent view before every commitment
An overly optimistic yield study, a poorly matched design or an incomplete specification is costly once a project is under way. We review studies produced by others, check their assumptions and calculations, and deliver a reasoned opinion that decision-makers can read.
Our second opinion helps your teams:
- Check that a study rests on realistic assumptions
- Spot errors and omissions before they cost money
- Decide, fund or accept a study with full knowledge
- Obtain the necessary corrections from the study's author
Our reviews draw on calibrated resource data and on the experience of the reference systems we build in West Africa.
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An opinion independent of the study's author
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Assumptions checked against calibrated data
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Findings ranked by severity
Review energy yield and sizing
We redo the calculations that matter: solar resource, losses, expected yield, sizing of arrays, inverters and storage. Every significant gap with the reviewed study is explained and quantified.
The review covers in particular:
- The solar resource used and its source
- Losses, degradation and P50 and P90 values
- Whether the sizing matches actual needs
Test the assumptions
A study is only as good as its assumptions. We compare them with the data available for the country and the site: calibrated resource, observed consumption, tariffs, grid constraints. We flag those that do not hold and their effect on the conclusions.
For each assumption, you know:
- Where it comes from and whether the source is reliable
- Whether it is realistic given the available data
- What a more cautious value would change
Inform the decision
Our opinion is written for decision-makers. It reaches a clear conclusion and ranks findings by severity: blocking, major or minor. It can be passed as is to an investment committee or to the study's author.
Our opinion helps you:
- Accept a study or request additional work
- Make funding conditional on specific findings being resolved
- Track findings until they are closed
Our clients
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Funders and banks
Make sure a project is technically sound before funding it.
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Energy agencies and ministries
Accept their contractors' studies on an objective basis.
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Developers and investors
Check a project before acquiring or investing in it.
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Engineering firms
Have a study reviewed before handing it to their client.
What we review
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Energy yield studies
Resource, losses, expected yield and P50 and P90 values.
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System designs
Solar arrays, inverters, storage and backup, against actual needs.
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Prefeasibility and feasibility studies
Technical and economic assumptions, scenarios and conclusions.
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Terms of reference and specifications
Clarity of the need, completeness of requirements and evaluation criteria.
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Energy information systems
Design of reference systems, data catalogues and their data flows.
How a review unfolds
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Scoping
We agree with you on the scope, the documents to review and the timeline.
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Analysis
We check the assumptions, the data and the calculations.
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Exchanges
We put our questions to the study's author, if you wish.
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Opinion
We deliver a reasoned opinion, with findings ranked by severity.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need the study author's agreement?
No. We work from the documents you send us. Exchanges with the author do make the review faster and more precise.
Do you redo the whole study?
No. We check the points that drive the conclusions and redo the calculations that matter. If a full counter-study is needed, we tell you.
How long does a review take?
It depends on the volume and nature of the documents. The timeline is set during scoping, before any commitment.
Is the review confidential?
Yes. The documents and our opinion are shared only with the people you designate.
Can you follow up until findings are closed?
Yes. We review the corrected versions and confirm, finding by finding, that they are closed.
Related services
A study to be checked?
Tell us about the documents to review. We get back to you within two working days with a scope and a timeline.