Solar PV analytics at the click of a button – Say hello to PVDATA

How long does it take to develop a solar project today? How much does it cost to do so??

It took me approximately 6 months before I could put together a comprehensive pre-feasibility technical document that my client, Cedric Mbianji, needed at the time to engage into serious discussions with Cameroon stakeholders on the 30 MW Solar PV project he was working on. Yes, “just” 6 months and I could tell you it was a little bit of a mission to get to that stage.

It could possibly be argued that it is not so strange given the fact that Cameroon is a challenging country and the industry is still nascent there. In some countries in the continent it will be much faster! Really?

I then remember working with a consortium on a solar tender issued by Botswana Power Corporation, the national utility company in Botswana. We had a solid team of very experienced professionals and through our local partnership, a very good knowledge of the ground and still, it took us more than 3 months to get to a stage we could package a full proposal.

This may sound anecdotal but it is NOT!

3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 2 years…these are the usual answers one would get when asking around Solar Developers to find out what are their responses to these questions! And here is the killer question: How many of these projects are reaching bankability stage?

According to Get Invest, only 27 large-scale Renewable Energy Transactions had reached financial close in Africa between April 2019 and April 2021!

To make the matter worse, from RiA researches, as mentioned into one of our previous articles, and from international sources like IFC, investors would spend substantial amount to source and develop projects, usually between 6-8% of the transaction value.

So with this picture in mind, it would be extremely helpful to find a way to fast track this whole process and minimise expenses incurred at early development stage correct?

This is where this bleak painting brightens up.

·????????PV DATA

About 2 years ago, I came across a very ambitious team of former developers still working in the sector who were determined to change this situation for the better. Having faced the same problems than everybody, they simply refused to accept the status quo and decided to put their mind together to come up with a better solution. As we could easily imagine, it took them a few iterations to come up with a model that works. Having been privy and fortunate to assess early versions they designed over time, I must say, the latest version of their unique PV software solution, called @PVDATA (https://pvdata.io/), is undoubtedly a MASSIVE improvement.

·????????What does it do?

PVDATA (https://www.pvdata.io)?have created the one-stop-shop pre-feasibility tool for analysing solar grid projects anywhere in the world. With the ability to analyse, automate and structure complex projects in under 60 seconds, PVDATA has made this process faster, cheaper and a lot more attractive.

What separates this new solar software company from its competitors, is that most firms within this space focus on just one aspect or function of analysis (i.e., only measuring performance or only measuring the financial structure, or only providing a heat map), leaving users to rely on other means for getting the relevant data they need to assess their PV project. This method can be both time-consuming and very expensive.?

·????????How does it do it?

The simplicity of PVdata is on my humble opinion one its strongest attributes. It is particularly impressive to see how easy and ergonomic it is to use. It genuinely does not require any advanced IT skills to be able to run it properly. You literally have to push few buttons and just by magic, a detailed and comprehensive report is generated for the delight of the user. To cater for any eventuality, the team has also avail on the platform a couple of tutorials that will guide you on the way forward.

“This is the best user-friendly renewable energy platform on the planet. It would be silly not to make your life much easier” Michael Boxwell, Author Solar Electricity Handbook.

Easy said than done?

The best opportunity to verify this for yourself would simply be to sign for the webinar demo organised for next Monday 21 Feb.

·????????What countries does it cover?

Far from being limited to a single geographical location, this software is constructed to be used across the World. In a nutshell, it covers 96 countries, more than 12,000 cities and more than 50 currencies to name a few of its global features. Whether a 300 MW dollar-denominated PPA project is planned in California or a 15 MW Solar leasing project using Malaysian local currency, Ringgit is envisaged, PVDATA software will certainly be of an inestimable help.

Early feedback gathered from developers and investment community has shown great prospects, boosting the team confidence as they are launching and rolling out PVDATA out in the wider market.

·????????PVDATA demo

Many would acknowledge that getting a new professional software package often requires more than a tutorial. To this respect, PVData team is organising a public demo on Monday 21 February at 2pm GMT. The audience attending could expect to receive deeper insights into PVData capabilities. This virtual session will be freely available but places are limited. Due to the anticipation, it is wisely advised to book your seat at the earliest convenience.

Achieving universal access by 2030, reaching out carbon neutrality by 2050 and investing in a sustainable future will simply not be possible without leveraging technology. To deliver on these gigantic objectives, industry stakeholders, especially investors and developers must imperatively work together to deliver fast and cost-effective clean energy solutions: PVDATA (https://pvdata.io/) is purposely built to respond to this priority.

Sources

1.??????GET Invest Webinar, “Reducing the cost of capital for solar projects in Africa”

2.??????Renewables in Africa, https://www.renewablesinafrica.com/5-reasons-why-the-current-ask-a-guy-deal-sourcing-approach-in-africa-does-not-work/

3.??????IFC, “Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Power Plants – A project developer guide”