Solar Project Development

Utility Scale Solar Power Plants

A Guide For developers And investors

This document was written for the International Finance Corporation (IFC) by Alasdair Miller and Ben Lumby of Sgurr Energy Limited. The project was implemented in partnership with The Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Austrian Ministry of Finance.

A GUIdE For dEvELoPErS And InvESTorS

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South aSia Department maruti Suzuki BuilDing, 3rD Floor, 1, nelSon manDela roaD,VaSant kunj, new Delhi 110070, inDia telephone (91-11) 4111-1000 , 4111-3000, FacSimle (91-11) 4111-1001, 4111-3001

February 2012

Solar energy technology is gaining swift acceptance. India is well-placed to benefit from the successful development of the solar energy industry. It is hoped that this guidebook will encourage project developers and financiers in India and elsewhere to adopt industry best practices in the development, construction, operation and financing of solar projects. This guidebook is a best practice manual for utility-scale solar power plants in India. It focuses primarily on ground mounted, fixed tilt Pv projects and also covers solar tracking system technology. Intended to be a practical toolkit, the guidebook includes an annex that covers Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology and highlights aspects of the CSP project development process that differ from the Pv equivalent. It also has annexes on construction, operation and maintenance contract terms. While the guidebook is focused on utility-scale, grid-connected solar projects, much of the technical content is equally relevant to off-grid solar applications and is likely to be helpful to readers keen to deepen their understanding of this exciting sector. To illustrate various aspects of project development, construction and operation, a number of case studies have been included. All case studies are based on the same project: a real 5MWp, thin film plant situated in India. The following section summarizes the various aspects in the...