While procurement groups typically have issued RFPs to find potential suppliers, an alternative, technology-aided approach has recently emerged that can streamline the process. This new approach utilizes platforms containing databases of renewable energy projects being considered for development and, using a dynamic matching engine, matches buyers with projects that meet their criteria. Two such platforms are the LevelTen Marketplace in the United States and DNV GL’s Instatrust in Europe. Buyer-led procurement groups can use these matching platforms if doing so does not violate the procurement requirements for any participant.
PROCUREMENT GUIDANCE MENU
- Overview
- Developing a Strategy
- Community Solar
- Understand Ownership Models
- Understand Your Subscription Models
- Understand Your Regulatory Context
- Select Your City’s Roles
- Plan Your Project
- Becoming a Subscriber
- Learn What Percentage of a Project Your City Can Subscribe To, Given Your Local Regulations
- Evaluate the Various Subscription Projects/Models Available to You
- Evaluate Ways to Mitigate Subscription Contract Risks
- Support Local Economic Development and Job Creation
- Enable Clean Energy Access to Low-Income Populations
- Reduce Project Costs to Capture Economic Savings for the City
- Becoming a Host
- Understand Regulations for Community Solar Siting
- Screen City Properties for Potential Solar Development and Weigh the Costs and Benefits of Using a Municipal Property to Site Your Community Solar Project
- Consider Working with a Solar Siting Consultant to Ensure Site Suitability
- Assess the Value of Candidate Sites and Consider Issuing a RFI or RFP to Understand Lease and/or Project Pricing for Your City-Owned Site(s)
- Screen for Interconnection
- Help Facilitate Permitting and Zoning Processes
- Support Local Economic Development and Job Creation
- Enable Clean Energy Access to Low-Income Populations
- Reduce project costs to capture economic savings for the city
- Leverage Value from Existing Assets (e.g., brownfields, airports, and parking structures)
- Becoming a Facilitator
- Leverage Existing City Programs and Departments to Improve Community Solar Project(s)
- Conduct Outreach and Educate the Community About Community Solar
- Facilitate Partnerships or Coordinate Project Research, Development, and Aggregation
- Enable Clean Energy Access to Low-Income Populations
- Reduce Project Costs to Capture Economic Savings for the City
- Leverage Value from Existing Assets
- Becoming a Project Manager
- Conduct the Site Selection
- Identify Your Subscription/Ownership Model
- Develop Your Subscription Management Strategy
- Solicit Bids and Select a Project Developer
- Project and Subscription Management
- Support Local Economic Development and Job Creation
- Enable Clean Energy Access to Low-Income Populations
- Reduce Project Costs to Capture Economic Savings for the City
- Leverage Value from Existing Assets
- Create a Plan of Action
- Becoming a Subscriber
- Monitor and Share
- On-Site Solar
- Off-Site Physical PPA
- Virtual PPA
- Green Tariff
- Funding Guidance
- Large-Scale Renewables Aggregation
- Solarize
Procurement Guidance Menu
Large-Scale Renewables Aggregation Guidance
Technology-Aided Procurement (Optional)
As an example, the Corporate Renewable Energy Aggregation Group issued an RFP and selected LevelTen to support a virtual PPA in 2019. Three months after engaging LevelTen, the group issued an RFP through LevelTen’s transaction marketplace and received roughly 100 responses. Although the group was unable to secure the first project selected, they subsequently launched a second RFP through LevelTen and, one month later, selected a solar project.