# Brand Manual — SolarPlants

## Ink & Copper · Version 1.0 · 2026-05-23

> **Issuer:** SolarPlants (commercial brand of VERDEVOLT PROIECT S.R.L.)
> **Status:** v1 — pending Radu sign-off at kick-off operațional
> **Owner of this document:** /brand-designer + /project-manager
> **For:** internal team, external designers, partners producing SolarPlants-branded materials
> **Companion files:** `brand-brief.md` v1.1 · `compliance-solarplants.md` v1.1 · `examples/brand-assets/`

---

# Table of Contents

1. Brand Essence
2. Color System
3. Typography
4. Grids & Spacing
5. Logo SolarPlants
6. Iconography
7. Photography
8. Applications
9. VerdeVolt — Legal Entity & Lockup
10. Boilerplate & Disclosure
11. Voice & Tone (cross-ref)
12. Brand DO / DON'T
13. Revision History

---

# §1 — Brand Essence

## 1.1 What we are

**SolarPlants** is Romania's productized investor entry platform for renewable energy. We help international investors — Turkish family conglomerates, Gulf SWFs, European PE and family offices — enter and execute in the Romanian PV, BESS and hybrid renewables market through transparent, fixed-price advisory tiers calibrated for serious capital.

We are not a generalist consultancy. We are not an EPC. We are a **local execution platform** with productized pricing, Turkey-Romania bridge specialization, and BESS-included standard.

## 1.2 Positioning statement

> For international investors who want to invest in renewable energy in Romania, SolarPlants is the productized investor entry platform that delivers structured access — from CfD-eligible RTB pipelines and BESS-co-located packages through local execution support — through transparent, fixed-price advisory tiers. Unlike consultants who quote custom-only, EPC-led shops with bias, or boutiques without Turkish-specific cultural fluency, we offer the only Romanian advisory platform combining productized pricing, Turkey-RO bridge, BESS-included default, and local execution under one roof.

## 1.3 Archetype

**Primary:** The Sage — authority, expertise, depth.
**Secondary:** The Ruler — control, order, leadership.

**NOT:** Hero (no "we save you"), Outlaw (no "disrupting"), Magician (no "transformational").

## 1.4 Personality calibration

| Attribute | Yes | No |
|-----------|-----|----|
| Age | 45–55 | 25 |
| Dress | Sober suit, mechanical watch, leather shoes | Hoodie, sneakers, smartwatch |
| Car | Executive sedan (Audi A6, BMW 5, Volvo S90) | Showy SUV, Tesla with spoiler |
| Meeting | 5-star hotel, quiet restaurant, 7pm | Coffee shop, networking event |
| Reading | *The Prize* (Yergin), *Energy and Civilization* (Smil), McKinsey reports | Self-help, "10 hacks to..." |
| Holiday | A Bosphorus walk plus a business meeting | Entrepreneur camp |

## 1.5 Taglines (test set)

1. **Clarity in Romanian Renewables.** (primary recommendation — translates cleanly to RO/TR/AR)
2. **Your Local Platform for Renewable Energy Investment in Romania.** (baseline, long-form)
3. **From Investor Entry to RTB to EPC to Operations.** (narrative, internal/funnel use)

## 1.6 Core messages

1. *Romania is attractive, but execution is local.*
2. *Speed without local structure creates risk.*
3. *We convert investor interest into bankable action.*
4. *One local partner instead of ten fragmented suppliers.*
5. *We don't run unlimited advisory — we work through structured investor programs with public pricing.*

## 1.7 Anti-messages (never)

- "Make 30% ROI in 2 years."
- "We have the best opportunities."
- "Guaranteed approval."
- "Trust us, we'll handle it."
- "Cheapest in the market."
- "Leading boutique" / "Top-rated" / "World-class."

---

# §2 — Color System

## 2.1 Palette "Ink & Copper"

| Token | Hex | RGB | CMYK | Pantone (closest) | Role |
|-------|-----|-----|------|--------------------|------|
| **Ink-marine** | `#0E1A24` | 14 · 26 · 36 | 88 · 78 · 60 · 80 | PMS 5395 C | Primary text, logo, dark backgrounds |
| **Slate** | `#2A3942` | 42 · 57 · 66 | 75 · 60 · 50 · 50 | PMS 433 C | Secondary text on light, secondary backgrounds |
| **Copper** | `#B87333` | 184 · 115 · 51 | 25 · 60 · 85 · 15 | PMS 1535 C | Accent — CTA, key data line, single divider, recommended-tier highlight |
| **Copper Hover** | `#C9893F` | 201 · 137 · 63 | 20 · 50 · 80 · 8 | PMS 1525 C | Interactive hover state |
| **Warm Bone** | `#F4F1EC` | 244 · 241 · 236 | 4 · 5 · 8 · 0 | PMS Warm Gray 1 C | Main background, generous whitespace |
| **Cool Grey** | `#7A8A92` | 122 · 138 · 146 | 50 · 35 · 32 · 12 | PMS Cool Gray 8 C | Borders, hairlines, captions, secondary chart elements |
| **White** | `#FFFFFF` | 255 · 255 · 255 | 0 · 0 · 0 · 0 | — | Pure white reserved (limited use — Bone is the default light) |

## 2.2 Usage ratios

**80 / 15 / 5 rule:**
- **80%** Warm Bone (background, breathing room)
- **15%** Ink + Slate (text, structure)
- **5%** Copper (one accent element per view, never more)

Copper must never become wallpaper. One copper element per view: the CTA, the single data line, the recommended-tier highlight, the single divider. Choose one; the others stay slate or cool grey.

## 2.3 Accessibility (WCAG)

| Pair | Ratio | Status |
|------|-------|--------|
| Ink #0E1A24 on Bone #F4F1EC | 16.4:1 | AAA ✓ (body + large) |
| Slate #2A3942 on Bone #F4F1EC | 10.2:1 | AAA ✓ (body + large) |
| Copper #B87333 on Bone #F4F1EC | 3.8:1 | AA Large only ✓ — use only on text ≥18pt or as decorative accent |
| Copper #B87333 on Ink #0E1A24 | 4.3:1 | AA ✓ (large text + decorative); avoid for body copy |
| Bone #F4F1EC on Ink #0E1A24 | 16.4:1 | AAA ✓ |
| Cool Grey #7A8A92 on Bone | 3.1:1 | AA Large + decorative only — captions only |

**Rule:** Copper on Bone is decorative — never body text. If body copy must be copper-colored, switch to Ink and use copper for an underline or marker.

## 2.4 Backup palettes (only if Ink & Copper rejected)

- **Carpathian Slate** — green-but-not-green substitute, see `research/08-branding-trust-blueprint.md` §2.3
- **Anatolian Dusk** — terracotta-warm substitute, see same reference

These are documented for completeness; **Ink & Copper is the locked decision (D6, D16)**.

---

# §3 — Typography

## 3.1 Type system "Editorial Premium"

| Role | Font | Weight | Optical size | Source |
|------|------|--------|--------------|--------|
| Display headlines | **Fraunces** | 300 / 400 | opsz 72–144 | Google Fonts — FREE |
| Editorial accents, pull quotes | **Fraunces** | 400 / 500 | opsz 36–72 | Google Fonts — FREE |
| Headlines H2–H3, UI emphasis | **Inter** | 600 / 700 | — | Google Fonts — FREE |
| Body copy | **Inter** | 400 | — | Google Fonts — FREE |
| Body emphasis | **Inter** | 500 / 600 | — | Google Fonts — FREE |
| UI buttons, CTA | **Inter** | 600 | — | Google Fonts — FREE |
| Captions, meta | **Inter** | 400 / 500 | — | Google Fonts — FREE |
| Numbers, data, tabular | **Inter** | 500 (`font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums`) | — | Google Fonts — FREE |
| VerdeVolt legal wordmark | **Inter** | 700 | — | Google Fonts — FREE |

**Locked decision D25:** Inter + Fraunces, Google Fonts, free, native Shopify Horizon, excellent multilingual coverage (EN, RO ăâîșț, TR ıİşğçü). Eliminated paid Söhne / GT Sectra cost (~€2–3k/yr).

## 3.2 Type scales

### Display (Fraunces opsz 72–144)
| Use | Size (desktop) | Size (mobile) | Weight | Tracking | Line height |
|-----|----------------|----------------|--------|----------|-------------|
| Hero (H1) | 88px | 56px | 300 | -2.5% | 1.05 |
| Section title (H2) | 56px | 40px | 400 | -2% | 1.10 |
| Pull quote | 36px | 28px | 400 italic | -1% | 1.30 |

### Editorial (Fraunces opsz 14–36, sparingly)
| Use | Size | Weight | Tracking | Line height |
|-----|------|--------|----------|-------------|
| Editorial sub-headline | 24px | 400 italic | -0.5% | 1.35 |
| Magazine masthead | 144px | 500 | -3% | 1 |

### Body (Inter)
| Use | Size (desktop) | Size (mobile) | Weight | Tracking | Line height |
|-----|----------------|----------------|--------|----------|-------------|
| H3 sub-section | 28px | 22px | 600 | 0 | 1.25 |
| H4 small heading | 20px | 18px | 600 | 0 | 1.30 |
| Body large | 20px | 18px | 400 | 0 | 1.55 |
| Body | 17px | 16px | 400 | 0 | 1.60 |
| Body small | 15px | 14px | 400 | 0 | 1.55 |
| Caption / meta | 13px | 12px | 500 | +1% | 1.40 |
| Label / eyebrow | 12px | 12px | 600 ALL CAPS | +12% | 1 |
| Button | 16px | 16px | 600 | +1% | 1 |

### Data (Inter tabular)
| Use | Size | Weight | Tracking |
|-----|------|--------|----------|
| Table cell | 15px | 500 tabular | 0 |
| Chart axis | 12px | 500 tabular | 0 |
| Price headline | 56px | 600 tabular | -1% |

## 3.3 Multilingual

- **English** — primary; full coverage.
- **Romanian** — secondary; Fraunces and Inter both include extended Latin (ă â î ș ț).
- **Turkish** — tertiary; both fonts include Turkish-specific glyphs (ı İ ş ğ ç ü ö); confirm İ and ı dotting at all sizes.
- **Arabic** (Year 2, Gulf gov only) — companion family: **GE SS** or **29LT Adir** for editorial weight. RTL flip; keep Western Arabic numerals (0–9) for financial content.

## 3.4 Fraunces / Inter pairing rules

- **Headlines:** Fraunces for hero + display + editorial; Inter for working H2/H3 in UI dense contexts.
- **Body:** Inter only. Never set body in Fraunces.
- **Mixing in one line:** allowed for emphasis (one Fraunces italic word inside an Inter body sentence), used sparingly.
- **All caps:** reserved for Inter 600 +12% tracking labels and eyebrows. Never set Fraunces in caps.

---

# §4 — Grids & Spacing

## 4.1 Baseline grid

**4 pt baseline.** All vertical spacing is a multiple of 4 px.

| Step | Value | Use |
|------|-------|-----|
| 1 | 4 px | Tight inline (icon → text) |
| 2 | 8 px | Inline elements |
| 3 | 12 px | Within component |
| 4 | 16 px | Between components |
| 6 | 24 px | Card padding |
| 8 | 32 px | Section padding |
| 12 | 48 px | Section break (mobile) |
| 16 | 64 px | Section break (desktop) |
| 24 | 96 px | Major section / hero (desktop) |
| 32 | 128 px | Page top breath (desktop) |

## 4.2 Layout grid

- **Desktop:** 12 columns, 24 px gutter, 1280 px max-width, 80 px outer margin minimum.
- **Tablet:** 8 columns, 16 px gutter, 32 px outer margin.
- **Mobile:** 4 columns, 12 px gutter, 20 px outer margin.

## 4.3 White space discipline

- Hero sections **must** breathe — minimum 96 px vertical air above the H1.
- Cards have minimum 24 px internal padding.
- Body copy lines max 72 characters (forces serif-style line breaks even on Inter).
- Never set two H2s within 64 px of each other; insert a paragraph or break.

---

# §5 — Logo SolarPlants

## 5.1 Direction

**Pure wordmark.** No symbol, no icon, no horizon mark, no monogram, no sun, no leaf, no lightbulb, no panel, no gradient.

The wordmark *is* the logo. Production reference set: Stripe, Mubadala, Augusta, FT Weekend mastheads. Style register: **Editorial-institutional**, never SaaS-dashboard.

**Locked decision D36.**

## 5.2 Master variants

| Variant | File | Use case |
|---------|------|----------|
| **Primary** | `solarplants-wordmark-primary.svg` | Default 80% — web header, letterhead, deck cover light, business card |
| **Monochrome** | `solarplants-wordmark-monochrome.svg` | One-color print, fax, low-budget print, legal docs |
| **Reverse** | `solarplants-wordmark-reverse.svg` | Dark mode site, deck slides dark cover, video lower-third |
| **Simplified** | `solarplants-wordmark-simplified.svg` | Email signature, badge ≤48 px, invoice header |
| **Favicon source** | `favicon-source.svg` | Master to rasterize 16 / 32 / 180 px PNG |

All files in `examples/brand-assets/logos/`.

## 5.3 Typographic specification

- **Type:** Fraunces variable, optical size 144 (primary), 36 (simplified)
- **Weight:** 400 (primary, monochrome), 500 (reverse — dark-mode optical compensation), 500 (simplified — small-size sturdiness)
- **Case:** Mixed (only "S" is capitalized: "SolarPlants")
- **Letterspacing:** -2.5 % (primary), -2.0 % (simplified), 0 % (reverse)
- **Single signature kern:** the dot of the "i" is raised by 1 px relative to default. Invisible to ~95 % of viewers; owned by the brand as a kerning fingerprint.

## 5.4 Clear space & minimum size

- **Clear space:** 1 × cap-height of the "S" on every side. Nothing — copy, icons, edges — enters this zone.
- **Minimum size:**
  - Print: **12 mm** width (primary), **9 mm** (simplified)
  - Digital: **96 px** width (primary), **48 px** width (simplified)
- **Maximum size:** none — Fraunces opsz scales gracefully to billboard scale.

## 5.5 Application backgrounds

- **Permitted:** Bone `#F4F1EC`, pure white, solid Ink `#0E1A24` (with reverse variant only).
- **Not permitted:** photographic backgrounds without a solid Bone or Ink plate underneath; gradients; copper backgrounds; any colored background not in the palette.

## 5.6 Favicon

| File | Size | Notes |
|------|------|-------|
| `favicon-source.svg` | 180 × 180 master | Apple touch icon, rounded 20 px corners on Bone bg |
| `favicon-16.png` | 16 × 16 | Browser tab — re-render with Fraunces installed |
| `favicon-32.png` | 32 × 32 | Browser tab retina — re-render with Fraunces installed |
| `favicon-180.png` | 180 × 180 | Apple touch icon — re-render with Fraunces installed |

The favicon is the capital **S** of the wordmark, set in Fraunces 500 opsz 36, Ink on Bone with a 20 px corner radius (for the 180 px Apple touch icon). It never carries any other glyph or symbol.

## 5.7 Logo DO / DON'T

### DO
- Use Primary for 80 % of placements.
- Use Reverse only on official Ink surfaces (deck cover dark, video, dark-mode site).
- Use Monochrome for legal docs, invoices, fax.
- Use Simplified for any application below 48 px width.
- Preserve clear space (1 × cap-height) on every side.

### DON'T
- ❌ Change the wordmark color to Copper. Copper is reserved for CTA, single accent. The logo stays Ink.
- ❌ Add any symbol, icon, mark, gradient, drop shadow, or ornament. Pure wordmark only.
- ❌ Bold the wordmark. Fraunces 400 (or 500 reverse). Never 600 +.
- ❌ Substitute Fraunces with Times, Georgia, Cambria, or another serif. Fraunces opsz is the brand.
- ❌ Squeeze, stretch, or rotate. Preserve aspect ratio always.
- ❌ Add ALL CAPS treatment ("SOLARPLANTS") in marketing materials.
- ❌ Append "Energy", "Group", "Romania", etc., inline. The legal entity is **VerdeVolt Proiect SRL**, surfaced via the lockup, not via logo extension.
- ❌ Use on photographic backgrounds without a Bone or Ink plate underneath.
- ❌ Animate the wordmark (no fade-in letter-by-letter, no rotation). Static, always.

---

# §6 — Iconography

## 6.1 Source family

- **Phosphor Icons** (preferred) — single-line, geometric, 1.5 px stroke, optical correction at small sizes.
- **Lucide** (acceptable secondary) — similar register; use when Phosphor lacks a needed glyph.

Never mix icon families in a single view.

## 6.2 Style

- **Stroke weight:** 1.5 px at 24 px canvas.
- **Corner radius:** 2 px on container shapes; sharp on internal junctions.
- **Color:** Ink #0E1A24 by default. Copper accent only when the icon represents the same element as a copper-highlighted CTA / data point.
- **Background plate:** none in body. If an icon needs a circular badge (status, role), use Bone fill with Cool Grey 1 px stroke.

## 6.3 Cultural sensitivity

- **No religious symbols** (crosses, crescents, stars) — SolarPlants serves Gulf, Turkish, and European audiences in parallel. Universal forms only.
- **No anthropomorphic mascots** ever.
- **Hand gestures** — avoid the open palm, the pointing finger, the thumbs-up. Use abstract directional arrows or chevrons instead.

---

# §7 — Photography

## 7.1 Style direction

**100 % real, 0 % stock.** Photography production budget is approved for Q4 2026 (deferred from Q3 — decision A2 LOCKED). Until then, the site and decks use placeholder plate compositions and diagrammatic illustration only.

When production happens (Q4 2026):

- **Lighting:** natural, side-lit, soft. Never flat ring-light.
- **Composition:** asymmetric, horizon-anchored landscapes, negative space biased to one side.
- **Color treatment:** muted/desaturated ~10–15 %. Warm-shadow + cool-highlight grade. **One consistent LUT** across the entire library.
- **Crops:** 3:2 or 16:9 landscapes; 4:5 portraits; 1:1 only for social grid.

## 7.2 Subject inventory (Q4 2026 production list)

1. Radu Eremciuc portrait — half-day, €800–1,200
2. Team headshots (5–10 people) — half-day, €800–1,200, same photographer / backdrop / lighting / crop
3. Romanian project portfolio — full day + drone, €1,500–2,500: 2–3 PV sites + 1 BESS site, drone + ground, landscape-and-light-priority
4. Process / working photography — continuous, ad-hoc

**Total Q4 2026 budget envelope:** €3.5–5.5k.

## 7.3 Stock — never use

- Smiling people in hard hats pointing at panels.
- Wind turbines silhouetted against a sunset.
- Hands shaking over a contract.
- A green leaf with a water droplet.
- A globe with renewable icons orbiting.
- Diverse-group business glass conference room.

## 7.4 Photos vs diagrams

- **Photos:** team, projects, Radu, on-site reality.
- **Diagrams:** anything quantitative — RTB timelines, BESS dispatch curves, yield calculations, deal structures, RO-TR bridge map, pricing tier ladder. Inter Mono / Inter tabular for axis labels; copper key data line; slate grid.
- **Never mix** a diagram and a photograph in the same frame.

---

# §8 — Applications

## 8.1 Web (site solarplants.com)

- **Theme:** Shopify Horizon (D31 LOCKED).
- **Style:** Revolut paradigm — full-bleed hero on Ink, large white-space surfaces, bold typography, restrained animation.
- **Type:** Fraunces hero H1, Inter body, Inter Tabular for pricing tables.
- **CTA buttons:** Copper fill, Bone text, 4 px radius, weight 600, +1 % tracking.
- **Forms:** Ink labels, Cool Grey hairline inputs, Copper focus ring.

## 8.2 Pitch decks (PPTX)

- **Cover slide:** Ink full-bleed background, reverse logo top-left, Fraunces H1 centered, Inter caption ALL CAPS Copper eyebrow above.
- **Content slides:** Bone background, Ink + Slate text, max 6 lines per slide, one Copper accent element per slide (a data point, a divider, a recommended-tier highlight).
- **Data slides:** Inter tabular numerals, copper key line, slate grid, no chart-junk.
- **Slide ratio:** 16:9 default; 4:3 only on request.

## 8.3 Documents (DOCX, PDF, contracts)

- **Letterhead:** Lockup horizontal in header, full disclosure footer (see §9–10).
- **Body type:** Inter 11 pt regular, 14 pt H2, line height 1.5.
- **Headings:** Fraunces 18 pt for major section breaks; Inter 12 pt ALL CAPS Copper eyebrow above.
- **Page margins:** 25 mm top + bottom + outside; 30 mm inside (binding).

## 8.4 Business card

- **Front:** SolarPlants primary logo centered, Bone background.
- **Back:** Lockup horizontal (SolarPlants + VerdeVolt) + name + role + email + phone + LinkedIn QR. Inter 9 pt body, Copper underline on email link.
- **Stock:** Mohawk Superfine or G.F Smith Colorplan, 350 gsm, matte uncoated.

## 8.5 Email signature

```
[Name]
[Role] · SolarPlants

W +40 [number]
E [name]@solarplants.ro
solarplants.com · in/[handle]

—
SolarPlants is the commercial brand of VERDEVOLT PROIECT SRL
CUI 34742128 · J12/525/2016 · Cluj-Napoca, Romania
```

- Name: Inter 600 13 pt Ink.
- Role / company: Inter 400 13 pt Slate.
- Contact: Inter 400 11 pt Slate; email is Copper.
- Disclosure footer: Inter 400 10 pt Cool Grey above a 1 px Cool Grey hairline.

## 8.6 Social grid

- **LinkedIn corporate cover:** Ink full-bleed, reverse logo, Fraunces tagline.
- **LinkedIn profile picture (corporate):** favicon 180 (Bone background "S").
- **Post graphics:** 1080 × 1350 (4:5); Ink or Bone background; one Fraunces line + supporting Inter caption; one copper accent.
- **Avoid:** stock imagery, gradients, emoji as decoration.

## 8.7 Print collateral

- **Pitch one-pager:** A4 portrait, Bone base, Lockup horizontal header, single Copper divider, Inter 10 pt body, Fraunces section heads.
- **Conference pull-up banner:** 850 × 2000 mm, Ink base, reverse logo top, Fraunces hero "Clarity in Romanian Renewables", Inter body 24 pt.

---

# §9 — VerdeVolt: Legal Entity & Lockup

## 9.1 The dual structure

| Surface | Use | Why |
|---------|-----|-----|
| **SolarPlants** alone | All commercial, brand, marketing, content | Public-facing identity; never on a contract |
| **Lockup** (SolarPlants + VerdeVolt) | Site footer, business card back, invoice headers, KYC pack | Visual reminder that the brand and the legal entity coexist |
| **VerdeVolt Proiect SRL** alone | LOIs, MSAs, NDAs, contracts, KYC, ANAF documents | Legal identity; never on the homepage |

**Decision LOCKED D37:** The original VerdeVolt anthracite + lime-green badge logo is **superseded** and archived. VerdeVolt now adopts the SolarPlants Ink & Copper palette. Distinction between brand and legal vehicle is preserved through **typography + naming + explicit disclosure**, not through divergent palette.

## 9.2 VerdeVolt wordmark spec

- **Type:** Inter 700, ALL CAPS, letterspacing +6 %, fill Ink #0E1A24.
- **Subtitle:** Inter 500, ALL CAPS, +18 % tracking, fill **Copper #B87333**, reading "PROIECT · S.R.L." (with mid-dot separator). This is the only place Copper appears inside a logo — and it appears only beneath the legal entity, never beneath SolarPlants.
- **Variants:** primary (Ink on Bone) + reverse (Bone on Ink).

## 9.3 Lockup spec

### Horizontal
- **Composition:** SolarPlants Fraunces left | 1 px Cool Grey hairline divider (76 px tall) | VerdeVolt Inter right.
- **Eyebrow labels:** Inter 500 10 pt ALL CAPS +18 % Cool Grey — "COMMERCIAL BRAND" above SolarPlants, "LEGAL ENTITY" above VerdeVolt.
- **Beneath VerdeVolt:** Copper subtitle line "PROIECT · S.R.L. · CUI 34742128".

### Vertical
- **Composition:** SolarPlants top, hairline horizontal divider, VerdeVolt below with full legal subtitle ("CUI 34742128 · J12/525/2016").
- **Eyebrow labels:** centered above each.

Use horizontal in headers, footers, business card backs, invoice headers. Use vertical on cover pages (KYC, deck "Legal Entity" slide, letterhead vertical layouts).

## 9.4 When to use what

| Context | Logo to use |
|---------|-------------|
| Homepage hero, blog header, LinkedIn corporate cover | SolarPlants alone |
| Pitch deck cover (commercial side) | SolarPlants alone |
| Pitch deck slide "Technical Credentials / Legal Entity / ANRE D1" | VerdeVolt alone or Lockup vertical |
| Site footer | Lockup horizontal + disclosure paragraph |
| Business card front | SolarPlants alone |
| Business card back | Lockup horizontal + contact |
| Invoice / receipt header | Lockup horizontal (above) + VerdeVolt full legal block (below) |
| LOI / MSA / NDA / contract | VerdeVolt alone (header — official party identification) |
| KYC pack cover + entity identification | VerdeVolt alone or Lockup vertical |
| Bank statements, ANAF correspondence | VerdeVolt alone |
| Email signature line 1 | SolarPlants alone |
| Email signature footer | Disclosure line referencing both |

## 9.5 Never

- ❌ VerdeVolt logo on the homepage, "The RTB Brief" publication, LinkedIn corporate profile picture, op-eds.
- ❌ SolarPlants logo as sole header on a LOI, MSA, NDA, or contract (legal entity must be identified).
- ❌ Lockup as the primary slot in marketing materials — keep it relegated to footer/back-of-card/secondary positions unless the context specifically requires both.
- ❌ Translating "PROIECT · S.R.L." — the legal-form abbreviation stays Romanian even on English documents (legal accuracy).

---

# §10 — Boilerplate & Disclosure

## 10.1 Standard footer disclosure (English)

> **SolarPlants is the commercial brand of VERDEVOLT PROIECT S.R.L.**, a Romanian limited liability company registered with the Trade Registry under J12/525/2016, fiscal code CUI 34742128, registered office: Str. Paris nr. 52, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. We hold ANRE attestation D1, no. 21749 / 27-05-2024, for the design of electrical lines (overhead and underground) at all standardized nominal voltages. We do not guarantee transaction closing, financing approval, grant award, permit issuance, or project success, all of which depend on multiple external factors outside our control.

## 10.2 Standard footer disclosure (Romanian)

> **SolarPlants este marca comercială a VERDEVOLT PROIECT S.R.L.**, persoană juridică română înregistrată la Registrul Comerțului sub J12/525/2016, CUI 34742128, sediu social: Str. Paris nr. 52, Cluj-Napoca. Deținem atestat ANRE D1, nr. 21749 / 27-05-2024, pentru proiectarea de linii electrice aeriene și subterane la orice tensiuni nominale standardizate. Nu garantăm încheierea tranzacțiilor, aprobarea finanțărilor, acordarea de granturi, emiterea autorizațiilor sau succesul proiectelor, acestea depinzând de multiple variabile externe.

## 10.3 Compact footer (one-liner)

> SolarPlants is the commercial brand of VERDEVOLT PROIECT S.R.L. · CUI 34742128 · J12/525/2016 · ANRE D1 21749/2024 · Cluj-Napoca, Romania

## 10.4 Required on

- Site footer (every page)
- LOI cover
- MSA / NDA cover and signature page
- Proposal cover and last page
- Invoice header block
- Pitch deck final-slide footer
- Email signature footer line
- LinkedIn corporate page "About"
- Print collateral back panel

## 10.5 Forbidden phrasing

Cross-reference `compliance-solarplants.md` §4 (banned phrases) — the following are blocked in all materials:

- "Guaranteed yield" / "Expected ROI of X %" / "Your investment will return Y."
- "We have €X bn pipeline" — unless cited with a verifiable document.
- "We are ANRE-certified EPC contractor" — incorrect. Correct: "We hold ANRE D1 attestation for the design of electrical lines." (D1 is design, not full EPC.)
- "Investment advice" / "We recommend investing in…" — SolarPlants is not an ASF-licensed investment firm.
- "Best", "Leading", "World-class", "Top-rated" — unless verifiable with a citation.

---

# §11 — Voice & Tone

**Full voice + tone codification lives in `brand-brief.md` §4.** This Brand Manual carries only the operational rules.

## 11.1 Tone-of-voice phrase

**Senior. Sober. Expert. Executive.** Never marketingese.

## 11.2 Tier-A register (Strategic investors)

Sober · Evidence-dense · Citation-heavy · Hedged · Active voice · Simple syntax · No self-praise.

Sentence length 12–22 words. Numbers preferred to adjectives. Banned verbs: *unleash*, *revolutionize*, *transform*, *disrupt*.

Example: *"SolarPlants advises institutional investors on Romanian renewables market entry, from regulatory diligence through transaction close. Typical engagement: 6–14 weeks."*

## 11.3 Tier-B register (Serious mid-market)

Confident · Specific · Business-outcome framed · Slightly warmer. Sentence 14–28 words. First-person plural OK. Bulleted benefits OK.

## 11.4 Tier-C register (Exploratory)

Educational · Generous · Accessible · Inline acronyms. Sentence 16–32 words. Explain acronyms (RTB = Ready-to-Build, CfD = Contract for Difference). Tone: knowledgeable friend.

## 11.5 Cultural addresses

- **Turkish (Bey / Hanım protocol):** always "[FirstName] Bey" (men), "[FirstName] Hanım" (women); first name alone is rude; open with relationship/context, then pitch; hospitality language welcome ("We would be honored to host you in Cluj").
- **Gulf:** full titles ("Mr.", "Dr."); avoid first names until invited; formal openings + closings; avoid "Hi" / "Hey"; avoid casual "inshallah" in business *writing* (fine in speech); reference Santiago Principles register for SWFs.
- **European institutional (EBRD / EIB / EU PE):** sober, evidence-based, citation-heavy; reference CfD, ETS, RED III regulatory framework; avoid superlatives.

## 11.6 Banned words (all tiers, all languages)

- Unleash, revolutionize, transform, disrupt
- Best-in-class, world-class, leading (unless verifiable)
- Innovative, cutting-edge
- Passionate, energized, excited
- Any "-est" claim about SolarPlants

## 11.7 Preferred lexicon

- Use **transaction** not deal (Tier A)
- Use **mandate** not project (engagement type)
- Use **engagement** / **investment** not fee / cost / price
- Always cite source for any market statistic
- Hedge with **typically**, **in our experience**

## 11.8 Voice persona (who speaks?)

- **"We" / "our team" / "the platform"** = the firm; corporate content.
- **"I" / "Radu Eremciuc"** = personal byline; only thought leadership (op-eds, LinkedIn long-form, video, keynotes).

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# §12 — Brand DO / DON'T

## 12.1 Visual

### DO
- ✅ Bone backgrounds with generous whitespace (80 % of any surface).
- ✅ One Copper accent element per view — pick the most important and let copper highlight it.
- ✅ Fraunces for editorial and hero moments; Inter for everything else.
- ✅ 4 pt baseline grid for vertical rhythm.
- ✅ 1.5 px stroke icons, single-line, Phosphor or Lucide.
- ✅ Real photography (when produced Q4 2026) with consistent LUT, side-lit, asymmetric composition.
- ✅ Diagrams for anything quantitative; copper key line, slate grid.

### DON'T
- ❌ Use copper for body text or as background color.
- ❌ Use two accent colors in one view.
- ❌ Set body copy in Fraunces.
- ❌ Use all-caps Fraunces.
- ❌ Use stock photography ever.
- ❌ Mix a photograph and a diagram in the same frame.
- ❌ Use anthropomorphic mascots, lightbulbs, leaves, gradients, drop shadows, lens flares, or motion blurs.
- ❌ Use the SolarPlants wordmark in copper.
- ❌ Use any of the ❌ items listed in §5.7 (logo).

## 12.2 Verbal

### DO
- ✅ Senior, sober, expert tone in every channel.
- ✅ Numbers > adjectives.
- ✅ Cite sources for market data.
- ✅ Hedge claims with "typically" / "in our experience".
- ✅ Use the right cultural address for the audience (Bey/Hanım, Mr./Dr., Santiago Principles register).
- ✅ Apply the full disclosure footer (§10) wherever required.

### DON'T
- ❌ Use banned words (§11.6) anywhere, in any language.
- ❌ Make ROI claims, financing guarantees, or yield promises (compliance §4).
- ❌ Use "I" in corporate copy. Use "we" / "our team" / "the platform".
- ❌ Use "SolarPlants" alone where the legal entity must be named (LOI, MSA, NDA, contract).
- ❌ Use "VerdeVolt" alone in marketing.
- ❌ Translate "PROIECT · S.R.L." — keep the Romanian legal form even in English documents.
- ❌ Conflate ANRE D1 (design) with full EPC certification. We *design*; we do not *certify EPC completeness*.

---

# §13 — Revision History

| Version | Date | Author | Change |
|---------|------|--------|--------|
| v0 (draft) | 2026-05-22 | /brand-designer (S8 blueprint) | Initial visual identity captured in `research/08-branding-trust-blueprint.md` |
| **v1.0** | **2026-05-23** | /brand-designer + /project-manager | First Brand Manual production. Locks D6 + D16 + D25 + D36 + D37. Includes SolarPlants wordmark (T1.A) + VerdeVolt redesign + lockup (T1.D). Photography deferred Q4 2026 (A2). |
| v1.1 | TBD post-kickoff | /brand-designer | Post-Radu sign-off refinements. |
| v2.0 | TBD post-T2 launch | /brand-designer | Adds applied web examples from Shopify Horizon implementation. |

---

> **End of Brand Manual v1.0.**
> Companion files: `brand-brief.md` (voice + ICP), `compliance-solarplants.md` (banned phrases + disclosure rules), `examples/brand-assets/` (all logo files), `tracks/T1-branding/PLAN.md` (track progression).