Page 178 - Alternative Energy Systems in Building Design

154 SOLAR POWER SYSTEM PHYSICS AND TECHNOLOGIES

■ Electrical power conversion and transformation scheme and equipment platform
requirements
■ Equipment-mounting platforms
■ Underground or above-ground dc or ac conduit installations
■ PV module washing options, such as permanent water-pressure bibs, automatic
sprinklers, or mobile pressure washers
■ Service options and maintenance during life cycle of the PPA

Experience in large-scale installation
■ Engineering staff’s collective experience in PV design and power engineering
■ In-house or subcontracted engineering
■ In-house or subcontracted installation crew
■ Years of experience in solar power–tracker system installations (if applicable)
■ Years of collective experience in PPA contracting
■ Location of management, engineering, installation, and maintenance depots
■ Availability of PV modules and specific PPAs with major national and interna-
tional manufacturers
■ Name of the primary entity assuming full contractual responsibility and project
bonding
■ Names of each contractor or subcontractor taking part in the PPA
■ Years of collaboration with outsourced entities

Data-acquisition and monitoring system
■ Data-acquisition system certification by the rebate agency, such as the California
Solar Initiative (CSI)
■ Is data-acquisition system provided proprietary, or is it being provided by a third-
party certified provider?
■ Data-acquisition system power measurement and transmission intervals in
minutes
■ Monitored data, such as weather, wind speed, humidity, precipitation, and solar
irradiance
■ CSI-certified reporting scheme
■ Customer Web access key
■ On-site electrical display and printing capability and associated options
■ On-site integration capability with customer’s data-monitoring system
■ Periodic data reporting format and frequency
■ Presentation and visual aids, such as bar-chart displays of statistical solar power
monitored information and solar power array configuration displays
■ On-demand reporting
■ Proactive solar power system diagnostic capability

Proposal evaluation As mentioned earlier, long-term financing agreements such
as PPAs are inherently complicated and demand extensive due diligence by the owner,
legal counsel, and consulting engineers alike. In order to execute a PPA successfully,