Project Development in the Solar Industry

 Content: Acknowledgments  List of figures List of tables  This book and electronic enhancements  About the authors  1 Why renewable energy?  1.1 \"WHY NOT\" Solar Energy  2 Technology basics  2.1 Solar Photovoltaics  2.1.1 The photoelectric effect  2.2 Solar Thermal  2.2.1 The Rankine cycle  2.3 Parabolic Trough Systems  2.4 Power Towers, Dish Solar Thermal Systems and Solar Water Heating  3 Development: Project permitting  3.1 The Development and Permitting Landscape  3.2 The Development Process - An Overview  3.3 The Evolution of Permitting  3.4 Permitting a Utility-Scale Solar Generation Facility  3.5 The Role of the Non-Governmental Organization  3.6 Some Parting Thoughts  4 Development: Land  4.1 Brief Outline of Land Use and Energy Consumption  4.2 Solar Math, Energy Consumption and the Land Perspective  4.3 Preparation Prior to Search  4.3.1 Land size  4.3.2 State-County-Region  4.3.3 Utility provider  4.3.4 Project size  4.3.5 Distance to interconnection and proximity to substation  4.3.6 Topography  4.3.7 Water requirements  4.3.8 Solar radiation  4.4 Using Technology in Site Selection Process  4.5 BLM Land Overview  4.5.1 BLM vs. Private land  4.6 Williamson Act  4.7 Leasing, Purchasing and Options  4.8 Contracts  4.9 Pricing  4.10 Conclusion  5 Development: Transmission  5.1 Locating Transmission Lines  5.2 Identifying the Lines and Nomenclature  5.3 Historic Interconnection Application and Study Process  5.4 The Updated Interconnection Application Process  5.4.1 Fast track  5.4.2 Independent study  5.4.3 Cluster study  5.5 Land Requirements for Interconnection  5.6 Interconnection Cost Estimates  5.7 APS transmission Case Study: Transmission  5.8 Transmission Case Study: NV Energy Transmission Delivery Preferences and Implications 5.9 California Interconnection Process - 5 MW Facility Placed Onto Pacific Gas & Electric Network 5.9.1 Application processing  5.9.2 The technical scoping meeting  5.9.3 Technical studies  5.9.4 Interconnection agreement 5.9.5 Project implementation  6 Development: Energy off-take and power purchase agreements  6.1 The PPA and its importance to finance and valuation  6.2 Basic structure of a PPA 6.3 Key terms of the PPA  6.4 Financing Considerations of the PPA  6.5 PPA Variables greatly affecting the cash flow and value of the project  6.6 Buyer and Seller Key Commitments under a PPA  6.7 Obtaining a PPA  6.8 Utility Concerns in PPAs  6.9 Keys to PPA Award  6.10 Finding the best utility for a PPA 6.11 Project maturity and PPA Award  6.12 The broken U.S. PPA market and keys to improving it  7 Development: Renewable energy credits  7.1 Renewable Energy Credits  7.1.1 Tradable instruments  7.1.2 Regional markets (U.S.)  7.1.3 Commercial and regulatory risks  7.2 Carbon Markets and Cap-and-Trade Programs  7.2.1 Tradable instruments  7.2.2 Regional markets  8 Development: Development tools  8.1 Uses and application of geographic information software tools: Wetland databases  8.2 Biological geography databases and basis database navigation  8.3 Flora resource information databases  8.4 Renewable energy resource information: Solar radiation data  8.5 Geographic soil data  8.6 Transmission route and information databases  9 Development: Design considerations of photovoltaic systems  9.1 Overview of Design Considerations  9.2 Solar Resource  9.2.1 Direction or angle of incidence  9.2.2 Atmospheric disturbance or clearness index  9.2.3 Inter-annual variability  9.3 Project Requirements  9.3.1 Photovoltaic module  9.3.2 Photovoltaic inverter  9.3.3 Module mounting structure  9.4 Photovoltaic system design  9.4.1 Operating voltage  9.4.2 Temperature  9.4.3 String sizing  9.4.4 Combiner box  9.4.5 DC wiring  9.4.6 DC to AC conversion  9.4.7 AC field  9.4.8 System modeling  10 Business: Legal considerations of solar development  10.1 Entering into business negotiations  10.1.1 Confidentiality agreements  10.1.2 Term sheets  10.2 Business/Deal Structuring Decisions  10.2.1 Choice of entity  10.2.2 A holding company versus a project company  10.2.3 Where to form your business  10.2.4 Steps to create an LLC in delaware  10.2.5 Joint ventures  10.2.6 Acquiring a project in development  10.3 Project Development Considerations  10.3.1 Site control  10.3.2 Power purchase agreements  10.4 Construction Documents  10.5 Conclusion  11 Business: Finance  11.1 Forms of Investment  11.2 Financial Structure  11.3 Capital Requirements  11.4 Sources of Capital  11.5 Development Risks  11.5.1 Risk mitigation techniques and policies  11.6 Policy Impact on Asset Financing  11.6.1 U.S. policy to induce renewable energy finance  11.7 Path Forward: Securitization?  12 Business: Insurance and risk management  12.1 Risk Analysis  12.2 Project Risk  12.2.1 Risk mitigation  12.2.2 Anticipated insurance coverage\'s  12.3 Conclusion  13 Renewable energy and Mexico - an emerging market with promise  13.1 The Law on the Use of Renewable Energy and Energy Transition Funding (LAERFTE)  The policy for the development of renewable energy  13.2 Current overview of renewable energy in Mexico: Progress on the introduction of wind and solar energy in the Mexican market  13.2.1 Wind energy  13.2.2 Solar energy  13.3 Conclusions  14 Market study: Current state of the US solar market  14.1 Solar Projects in Operation  14.1.1 Solar projects by technology  14.1.2 Solar projects in operation by state  14.1.3 Leading solar developer for completed solar projects  14.1.4 Leading debt providers for completed solar projects  14.1.5 Leading tax equity providers for completed solar projects  14.1.6 Leading direct equity providers for completed solar projects  14.2 Bottom-Up View of the US Utility-Scale Solar Market, 2012-2015  14.2.1 Solar projects under development or construction  14.2.2 Crystalline silicon and thin film PV  14.2.3 CSP  14.2.4 CPV  14.2.5 Solar projects by state  14.2.6 Leading solar developer  14.2.7 Leading debt providers  14.2.8 Leading tax equity providers  14.2.9 Leading direct equity providers  14.3 Top-Down View of the US Utility-Scale Solar Market, 2012-2015  14.3.1 Total US electricity demand and supply growth  14.3.2 RPS requirements by state  14.4 Key Trends in the US Utility-Scale Solar Market  14.4.1 End of the section 1603 cash grant program  14.4.2 IPPs moving from natural gas and wind to solar  14.4.3 Once the RPS requirements are met, then what? or - can solar compete with natural gas plants?  References  Index