Utility-scale solar energy Projects

Utility-scale Projects supply energy directly to the grid for selling the energy to a public utility company through the spot market or a bilateral contract. The Project term is defined by the total lifetime of the assets, which for a solar energy Project can last up to 30 years. The price at which the energy is sold can vary depending on the conditions agreed with the utility company with which a bilateral contract was signed, or the energy spot market conditions.

Utility-scale Projects tend to be bigger than Self-Consumption Projects, and so their installation times are also longer.

In some countries, such as Colombia and Brazil, if the Project’s structure is within a certain range of installed power, it benefits from a simplified connection process, which shortens the installation and setup time to about 7 to 8 months.

Utility-scale Projects have a lower payment risk because the energy off-taker is a regulated utility company with high payment warranties.

Mini Solar Farms

In Colombia and Brazil, there exists a specific type of Project which is often referred to as a mini solar farm, which are Utility-scale Projects up to 1 MWp in Colombia and 3 MWp in Brazil. Mini solar farms sell energy to the grid, are mounted on the ground, and are equipped with a solar tracking system which enhances the energy production of the plant. The design of this type of plant is standardized and has a clear cost structure, which results in a standardized financial model. For this reason, the Mini Solar Farms are used as the standard solar energy Project to be funded through Unergy, hence having a swap factor especially close to 1.0.