Solar Energy Project Development


Summary

This practice note discusses solar energy project development in the United States, where policy support, technology advancement, and dramatically reduced costs for solar power generation equipment have contributed to popular adoption of solar power as an increasingly cost-effective and environmentally friendly energy source. These trends are very likely to continue. While this practice note briefly discusses rooftop projects, its focus is on utility-scale solar projects, as those are often encountered by lawyers and the source from which the majority of legal issues tend to arise. In addition, because of their popularity in utility-scale projects in the U.S., this practice note focuses on the requirements of projects using photovoltaic (PV) panels systems. Thus, it does not discuss alternative technologies, such as concentrated solar power systems (CSP), which have additional technical and legal considerations, such as the need for a stable source of cooling water for the CSP systems ...