Superstorm Sandy changed everything for IDE founder Brian Kesselman. Spending two grueling weeks restoring power to supermarkets across the devastated Northeast, Brian witnessed firsthand what happens when critical infrastructure fails. Communities lost access to food, medicine, and essential services. Businesses lost millions. And the utilities couldn’t move fast enough to help.
Brian founded IDE on a simple principle: organizations that serve their communities shouldn’t be vulnerable to infrastructure failures.
That principle first led to microgrids—giving commercial properties energy independence and resilience. But as IDE worked with nonprofits, municipalities, and healthcare organizations, a pattern emerged: transportation was just as critical as power, and just as broken.
Aging fleets. Unpredictable fuel costs. Maintenance nightmares. And the capital required to modernize? Out of reach for most mission-driven organizations.
IDE’s Fleet-as-a-Service was built to solve this. We deliver complete electric fleet solutions— vehicles, charging infrastructure, maintenance, fleet management—with zero upfront investment. The same turnkey approach that transformed energy resilience now transforms transportation.
Today, IDE partners with organizations across New England to electrify their fleets, reduce emissions, and redirect resources back to their missions. Because when your fleet just works, you can focus on what really matters: the people you serve.
With 20 years of supermarket and energy technology experience under his belt, Brian is intimate with the complexities of daily commercial and industrial operations. Knowing how systems function and interconnect means there is no guesswork in determining what’s needed to keep everything up and running optimally.
That’s why Brian and IDE are committed to providing the best customized energy supply solutions for the long term, with enough flexibility to accommodate both local and regional operational demands.
IDE’s mission is to future-proof businesses and the communities they serve against the harmful and costly impacts of power loss due to storms and other emergencies by making them energy sustainable and energy independent.
Our leadership team brings together a wealth of experience in distributed energy solutions, innovation, and sustainability.
Brian Kesselman is no stranger to the power of strategic innovation. With two decades of experience in executive leadership and electrical engineering firm management, Kesselman has stepped into the renewable energy sector with a determined focus on advancing fleet services and microgrid solutions. As the founder of Insight Distributed Energy,
Kesselman brings a wealth of operational expertise, refined in his tenure as Vice President of O.H. Burg Corporation, where he managed extensive budgets, designed intricate financial models, and led transformative initiatives to drive business growth.
Known for his keen abilities in relationship building and employee development, he is skilled at aligning teams around a shared vision. His work at O.H. Burg demonstrated his prowess in policy and procedure development, performance metrics analysis, and targeted marketing, all of which laid the foundation for a hands-on approach to renewable energy.
This venture has Kesselman directing his efforts toward cutting-edge, sustainable solutions, using data-driven insights to streamline operations and optimize resource allocation.
With a Masters degrees in political science from Suffolk University and BS in Sociology from Ithaca College, Kesselman’s academic background complements his technical acumen. His understanding of policy and regulation, critical in navigating today’s energy landscape, informs the strategic direction of Insight Distributed Energy as it tackles the challenge of clean, resilient energy infrastructure.
Leili McKinley, a visionary entrepreneur with over 35 years of experience, leads her renewable energy company with a commitment to inclusive leadership as the foundation of a high-performance culture. Her mission is to bring sustainable energy to underserved communities, guided by her philosophy that inclusion is not just a value but a core asset that drives growth and innovation.
McKinley’s career is a testament to her belief in building cultures where every voice is heard, creating resilient organizations that adapt and thrive in competitive environments.
As a three-time founder and the creator of the Identitype System—a groundbreaking digital assessment and training tool for leadership development—she has equipped thousands of professionals with the insights to foster collaborative, inclusive work environments. Her model for leadership goes beyond traditional strategies, focusing instead on cultivating a workplace where equity and engagement fuel performance.
At the helm of her current venture, McKinley applies this inclusive approach to empower teams, drive accountability, and align everyone to a shared mission. Her belief that inclusive leadership is the key to sustainable growth enables her company to attract top talent and retain passionate, committed employees who believe in the power of accessible, sustainable energy for all.
IDE microgrid solutions are turnkey, handling every aspect from analysis to design, engineering, and interconnection, to commissioning, operation, maintenance, and financing.
IDE microgrids are custom-designed to meet the needs of businesses where they are today, with built-in flexibility to accommodate future growth. Design packages include all or a combination of components that may be added to the original project when the customer is ready to upgrade. System components include:
IDE solutions use intelligent technology to gather real-time operating data to provide flexibility and optimization within microgrid systems. During regular daily operations, this technology monitors utility usage and rates, switching to other power sources to keep costs down.
When supply from the utility is cut during severe weather or power disruptions, such as a tree falling or a downed power line, microgrids switch to island mode to operate independently.
IDE helps customers navigate the financial opportunities available for businesses seeking energy sustainability through the Inflation Reduction Act, Renewable Energy Tax Credits, and Power Purchase Agreements.
This enables businesses to save on capital expenses while reducing operational costs.
Leading the transition to sustainable energy through innovative solutions.
Empowering communities and businesses with comprehensive energy solutions.
Sustainability and quality in every project, with a commitment to safety and regular maintenance.
Insight Distributed Energy delivers microgrid, solar & storage, and EV charging solutions, empowering businesses with sustainable and efficient energy systems.
