Certified Renewable Energy Project Developer Project planning and financing with a technology-specific focus Online training on economic indicators, support mechanisms and bankability. Focus on: Photovoltaic, PV-diesel hybrid systems, bioenergy or solar thermal for water heating
RENAC Online: E-learning for actual practice! RENAC aims to make renewable energy and energy efficiency know-how available worldwide, for clients in any location or time zone. To this end, RENAC has launched the Renewables Academy Online. RENAC staff and lecturers offer extensive support throughout the learning process via the course forum and live lectures (Virtual Classroom). At the end of the training, participants can take an exam to receive a RENAC certificate. Certified RE project developer : the online training This one-semester online training covers the essentials of support mechanisms and bankability for renewable energy in general. In addition, it contains one technology-specific project planning course. A short introductory course explains the most important economic parameters that will play a role in the following courses. The next course of this training presents renewable energy support mechanisms and their respective methodologies. It conveys knowledge of legal and regulatory frameworks, which is essential for the successful implementation of renewable energy projects The following course shows which aspects are critical for assessing the bankability of renewable energy projects. The course demonstrates the bank s view on risks related to PV, wind and biogas projects. It includes a checklist for the project developer to ensure that all data is ordered and complete, thus facilitating the decision of the bank or investor to fund the project. In the last part of the training, participants will gain insights in the planning process for a medium- to largescale plant from the earliest stages to implementation. Each participant can choose one of the four eligible technologies: Planning of multi-mw photovoltaic power plants, planning of PV-diesel hybrid systems (case study: 1-2 MVA minigrid), planning of biogas plants (case study: agricultural bioenergy, 250 kw el plant with CHP unit) or planning of large-scale solar thermal installations for water heating. The training is in the process of certification by the German central office for distance learning (ZFU). Participants The online training is targeted at professionals working in the field of energy who are interested in acquiring economic and financial knowledge for planning and executing bankable renewable energy projects. It is also meant for those who are responsible for setting the legal and regulatory framework for the implementation of such projects. The training is suitable mainly for participants with an academic background, e.g. in the fields of law, economy, political or natural sciences, or engineering. Registration You can register for all online trainings via the registration form at: http://www.renac.de/en/training-courses/online-training.html Choose the online training that you would like to register for and click on the link, then on the button Register. Course fee The fee for this online training (four courses, one semester) is 1.190 (incl. 19% VAT) Early bird discount (before 19.2.2016): 10% - Group discount: 10% - Combination of both: 15% Payment can be done via VISA, MasterCard and American Express, or per invoice (+ 10 fee for invoice payments) 2 Features: Three live events (chat + virtual classroom session) Online material (text, graphics, charts) Self-tests for learning assessment 3 hours of video lectures
Schedule Estimated study time: ca. 130h The courses will be made accessible one by one, from April 1 st, 2016: Recommended effort: 1.4.2016: Economic aspects (50 screen pages, ca. 30h study time) 5-10 hours per week. 17.4.2016: Support mechanisms (50 screen pages, ca. 30h study time) Online training duration: 4-6 months 25.5.2016: Bankability (50 screen pages, ca. 30h study time) 15.6.2016: fundamentals course for the chosen technology (20 screen pages, ca. 10h study time) 29.6.2016: planning course for the chosen technology (50 screen pages, ca. 30h study time) There are three live events during the online training: o Introductory live virtual classroom (webinar): April 1st, 2016 11 a.m. CEST o Live virtual classroom with lecture: Energy yield of RE : June 9th, 2016 11 a.m. CEST o Live virtual classroom with lecture: Financial aspects of RE projects : July 20 th,2016 11 a.m. CEST Participants can take the exam after 4 or 6 months. Exam dates: August 3 rd or September 29 th,2016. If a participant cannot attend or does not pass an exam, an individual resit can be scheduled. Participants who pass the final exam (60 questions, 90 minutes) with a score of 80% or more will receive a printed RENAC certificate by mail. Participants who did not attend or did not pass the exam or re-exam, but who participated actively in the course, will receive a certificate of attendance (PDF per e-mail), which does not indicate a specific grade. All courses will be online until September 30 th, 2016. Course content Economic indicators Levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) Net present value (NPV) Pay-back period Internal rate of return (IRR) Debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) Support mechanisms for renewable energy Grid parity and fuel parity of renewables Net metering and feed-in tariff (Fit) Auction mechanisms (sealed bid and descending clock auctions) Quota-based mechanisms using tradable green certificate mechanisms (TGCs) and renewable portfolio standards (RPSs) Financing renewable energy support mechanisms and frameworks Electricity markets and revenue streams (the merit order effect ) Support mechanisms and risk perception for project financing Bankability of wind and PV projects RE project financing and bankability assessments o Three different financing options o The financing process in four steps Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) contract negotiation Business plan requirements from the banker s perspective Checklist: risk assessment guidelines and project monitoring Three case studies (wind turbine, PV plant and biogas plant 3
Electives: (Participants can choose one of the following four technologies) a) Photovoltaic PV application Applications and market development Solar radiation System components System configurations (grid-tied and off-grid) Introduction to System design and yield estimation PV technology Physics of a PV cell, photovoltaic effect Different types of PV cells and their characteristics PV modules and arrays: configuration, efficiency and shading Planning of large-scale grid-connected PV Components (standards and certificates, PV modules mismatch, inverter concepts, ) Irradiation measurements, data sources for solar resource measurements Feasibility study, assessment of location, estimate of yield Quality criteria for bankable yield assessment studies Contracts, legal aspects Environmental conditions, infrastructure, grid connection Project completion schedule Commissioning procedure Operation and maintenance b) PV-diesel hybrid systems Please note: the PV-diesel elective course requires some previous knowledge on either PV or diesel systems. If you are completely new to the field, we advise to choose the PV elective course instead. Fundamentals of PV-diesel hybrid systems: Categories of PV-diesel hybrid systems System components and system sizing Dynamic system behavior Economic evaluation Case studies Planning of PV-diesel hybrid-power stations ( Fuelsaver ) Global cost advantage of PV-hybrid systems Feasibility study, load profiles, load projections Characteristics and dynamic behaviour of diesel gensets Technical concerns (hybrid system control, communication infrastructure, spinning reserve, minimum load, fluctuating PV power) System optimization (generator setup, storage technologies) Detailed financial analysis (structure of cash-flows, comparison of investments by LCOE) Installation and commissioning (pre-installation check list) Maintenance, operation and data monitoring 4
c) Biogas Fundamentals of the biogas technology: Benefits and potential Classification of biogas plants Components of industrial biogas plants Substrates for biogas generation Biogas energy conversion Digestate as fertilizer Planning and implementation of biogas plants Planning of medium-sized biogas plants Plant concept and design, process control Substrate characteristics, suitable substrates Main design parameters, main components Feasibility studies, sustainability aspects Planning, construction, commissioning Quality assurance, procedural safety Cash flow analysis Operation and maintenance d) Solar thermal Solar thermal fundamentals Relevance of solar thermal in the energy mix Functional principles of solar thermal systems Solar thermal collectors and other system components Main types of solar thermal system Basic system sizing Installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance Basic system economics Planning of large-scale solar thermal projects for water heating Flat plate and evacuated tube collectors, efficiency of solar collectors Storage cylinders, heat exchangers, pumps, armatures in large scale installations Different system types (thermosyphon or forced circulation, open closed, direct indirect) Efficiency and solar fraction, calculation of heat quantity Calculation of energy demand, collector area and storage capacity Dimensioning and selection of components, collector array arrangement Pressures and pressure losses in the system Commissioning and frequent faults Economic aspects 5
Media Each training comprises at least two live events, one of which is a virtual classroom session (webinar). These are conducted by RENAC staff. During and after the presentation participants are welcome to ask questions via the chat (also via microphone, if there are less than 10 participants in the virtual classroom) All courses are structured in small comprehensive units of instruction, in which learners are guided from one page to the next to work through the material step-by-step. Support and communication take place in a discussion forum for tutors and participants. Several self-assessment tests within each course will help participants to test their knowledge and prepare for the final exam. The final exam will be a multiple choice test; all participants who score above 80% will receive a printed RENAC certificate. Video lectures are included in most courses, explaining some of the most important topics in a visual and entertaining medium. 6
Renewables Academy Online http://www.renac.de/en/training-courses/online-training.html Contact person: Katrin Backhaus Project Manager E-Learning Renewables Academy (RENAC) AG Schönhauser Allee 10-11 10119 Berlin (Germany) Tel: +49 (0) 30-52 689 58 70 Fax: +49 (0) 30-52 689 58 99 7