Course - Solar PV Planning & Operations

Solar PV Planning & Operations will take place on May 12 - 14, 2014 at the Green Power Academy in London. The conference will provide a comprehensive, clear-language guide to solar resources, PV system technologies and other key project planning, economic and risk considerations.

Course Overview

During 2013, Solar PV overtook Wind Power to become the fastest growing renewable power source in terms of annual new capacity. As the cost of PV modules has plummeted, so the economics of solar PV have become attractive across a multitude of markets and with less and less dependence on unstable policy supports. PV has become regarded as a quick-to-deploy, cheap-to-operate and largely low-risk business, yet the truth is that projects do underperform and that – particularly as policy supports lessen – profitability carries risk. It is therefore becoming more vital than ever for those involved in the business of solar to understand where these risks arise and how to quantify them. Over the course of three intensive and time-efficient days, attendees will discover and quantify how resource assessment, technology choices and both plant and wider market operational issues vary, and how each impacts the business success (or failure) of solar PV projects.

Key Learning Objectives

Quantify the size, uncertainty, scalability and physical constraints on solar energy resources
Understand the key technology principles, trends and choices in the conversion of solar energy using photovoltaics (PV)
Learn how other components in a PV system impact overall system performance and project risk
Discover how the operational performance of large-scale solar projects can be optimised (and the risks that exist)
Understand the external operational challenges to increasing solar PV in the energy mix, including grid stability and balance, plus solutions such as battery storage
Discuss the integration of solar PV into energy markets at a variety of scales, from utility to small-scale, distributed projects
Quantify the various learning points into an understanding of financial risks and returns