Unlocking the Energy Transition: Guidelines for Planning Solar-Plus Storage Projects

Addressing the question of variability of renewable energy has been a key challenge for the energy transition. In many countries, thermal generation continues to drain scarce public resources, while deepening vicious cycles of power sector poverty traps. Yet, solar-plus-storage projects has the potential to reduce the dependency on thermal generation, providing comparable technical and commercial features.

The report provides a guiding framework for planning and implementing solar-plus-storage projects, while leveraging private investments. The report’s framework outlines four-phases covering the identification and planning of a project, selection, and adaptation of a business model from three pre-set configurations, and finally utilizing complementary PPA template resources in a competitive procurement process.

The report aims to streamline adoption and deployment of IPP-owned solar-plus-storage hybrid generation projects, especially in countries where reliance on fuel-based thermal generation is deepening their vulnerability and deficits, accelerating a much-needed transition.