Utility-Scale Solar Installations: Background, Policies & Financial Structures

Solar energy technologies continue to be deployed at unprecedented levels, aided significantly by the advent of large-scale projects that sell their power directly to electric utilities. Such utility-scale systems can deploy solar technologies far faster than traditional behind-the-meter projects designed to offset retail load. These systems achieve significant economies of scale during construction and operation, and in attracting financial capital, which can in turn reduce the delivered cost of power. Topics discussed in this compilation include a technology and market overview of utility-scale concentrating solar power and photovoltaics projects; federal and state structures to support financing utility-scale solar projects and the business models designed to utilise them; and the impact of financial structure on the cost of solar energy.