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| Acknowledgments | |
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| List of figures | |
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| List of tables | |
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| This book and electronic enhancements | |
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| About the authors | |
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| Why renewable energy? | |
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| "WHY NOT" Solar Energy | |
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| Technology basics | |
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| Solar Photovoltaics | |
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| The photoelectric effect | |
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| Solar Thermal | |
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| The Rankine cycle | |
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| Parabolic Trough Systems | |
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| Power Towers, Dish Solar Thermal Systems and Solar Water Heating | |
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| Development: Project permitting | |
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| The Development and Permitting Landscape | |
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| The Development Process - An Overview | |
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| The Evolution of Permitting | |
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| Permitting a Utility-Scale Solar Generation Facility | |
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| The Role of the Non-Governmental Organization | |
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| Some Parting Thoughts | |
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| Development: Land | |
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| Brief Outline of Land Use and Energy Consumption | |
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| Solar Math, Energy Consumption and the Land Perspective | |
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| Preparation Prior to Search | |
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| Land size | |
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| State-County-Region | |
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| Utility provider | |
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| Project size | |
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| Distance to interconnection and proximity to substation | |
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| Topography | |
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| Water requirements | |
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| Solar radiation | |
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| Using Technology in Site Selection Process | |
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| BLM Land Overview | |
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| BLM vs. Private land | |
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| Williamson Act | |
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| Leasing, Purchasing and Options | |
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| Contracts | |
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| Pricing | |
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| Conclusion | |
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| Development: Transmission | |
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| Locating Transmission Lines | |
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| Identifying the Lines and Nomenclature | |
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| Historic Interconnection Application and Study Process | |
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| The Updated Interconnection Application Process | |
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| Fast track | |
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| Independent study | |
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| Cluster study | |
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| Land Requirements for Interconnection | |
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| Interconnection Cost Estimates | |
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| APS Transmission Case Study: Transmission | |
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| Transmission Case Study: NV Energy Transmission Delivery Preferences and Implications | |
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| California Interconnection Process - 5 MW Facility Placed onto Pacific Gas & Electric Network | |
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| Application processing | |
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| The technical scoping meeting | |
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| Technical studies | |
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| Interconnection agreement | |
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| Project implementation | |
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| Development: Energy off-take and power purchase agreements | |
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| The PPA and its Importance to Finance and Valuation | |
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| Basic Structure of a PPA | |
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| Key Terms of the PPA | |
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| Financing Considerations of the PPA | |
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| PPA Variables Greatly Affecting the Cash Flow and Value of the Project | |
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| Buyer and Seller Key Commitments Under a PPA | |
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| Obtaining a PPA | |
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| Utility Concerns in PPAs | |
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| Keys to PPA Award | |
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| Finding the Best Utility for a PPA | |
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| Project Maturity and PPA Award | |
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| The Broken U.S. PPA Market and Keys to Improving it | |
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| Development: Renewable energy credits | |
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| Renewable Energy Credits | |
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| Tradable instruments | |
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| Regional markets (U.S.) | |
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| Commercial and regulatory risks | |
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| Carbon Markets and Cap-and-Trade Programs | |
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| Tradable instruments | |
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| Regional markets | |
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| Development: Development tools | |
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| Uses and Application of Geographic Information Software Tools: Wetland Databases | |
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| Biological Geography Databases and Basis Database Navigation | |
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| Flora Resource Information Databases | |
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| Renewable Energy Resource Information: Solar Radiation Data | |
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| Geographic Soil Data | |
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| Transmission Route and Information Databases | |
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| Development: Design considerations of photovoltaic systems | |
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| Overview of Design Considerations | |
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| Solar Resource | |
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| Direction or angle of incidence | |
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| Atmospheric disturbance or clearness index | |
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| Inter-annual variability | |
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| Project Requirements | |
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| Photovoltaic module | |
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| Photovoltaic inverter | |
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| Module mounting structure | |
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| Photovoltaic System Design | |
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| Operating voltage | |
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| Temperature | |
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| String sizing | |
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| Combiner box | |
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| DC wiring | |
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| DC to AC conversion | |
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| AC field | |
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| System modeling | |
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| Business: Legal considerations of solar development | |
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| Entering into Business Negotiations | |
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| Confidentiality agreements | |
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| Term sheets | |
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| Business/Deal Structuring Decisions | |
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| Choice of entity | |
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| A holding company versus a project company | |
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| Where to form your business | |
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| Steps to create an LLC in Delaware | |
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| Joint ventures | |
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| Acquiring a project in development | |
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| Project Development Considerations | |
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| Site control | |
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| Power purchase agreements | |
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| Construction Documents | |
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| Conclusion | |
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| Business: Finance | |
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| Forms of Investment | |
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| Financial Structure | |
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| Capital Requirements | |
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| Sources of Capital | |
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| Development Risks | |
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| Risk mitigation techniques and policies | |
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| Policy Impact on Asset Financing | |
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| U.S. policy to induce renewable energy finance | |
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| Path Forward: Securitization? | |
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| Business: Insurance and risk management | |
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| Risk Analysis | |
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| Project Risk | |
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| Risk mitigation | |
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| Anticipated insurance coverage's | |
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| Conclusion | |
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| Renewable energy and Mexico - an emerging market with promise | |
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| The Law on the Use of Renewable Energy and Energy Transition Funding (LAERFTE) | |
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| The policy for the development of renewable energy | |
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| Current Overview of Renewable Energy in Mexico: Progress on the Introduction of Wind and Solar Energy in the Mexican Market | |
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| Wind energy | |
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| Solar energy | |
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| Conclusions | |
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| Market study: Current state of the US solar market | |
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| Solar Projects in Operation | |
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| Solar projects by technology | |
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| Solar projects in operation by state | |
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| Leading solar developer for completed solar projects | |
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| Leading debt providers for completed solar projects | |
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| Leading tax equity providers for completed solar projects | |
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| Leading direct equity providers for completed solar projects | |
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| Bottom-Up View of the US Utility-Scale Solar Market, 2012-2015 | |
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| Solar projects under development or construction | |
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| Crystalline silicon and thin film PV | |
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| CSP | |
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| CPV | |
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| Solar projects by state | |
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| Leading solar developer | |
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| Leading debt providers | |
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| Leading tax equity providers | |
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| Leading direct equity providers | |
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| Top-Down View of the US Utility-Scale Solar Market, 2012-2015 | |
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| Total US electricity demand and supply growth | |
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| RPS requirements by state | |
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| Key Trends in the US Utility-Scale Solar Market | |
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| End of the section 1603 cash grant program | |
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| IPPs moving from natural gas and wind to solar | |
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| Once the RPS requirements are met, then what? or - can solar compete with natural gas plants? | |
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| References | |
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| Index | |