Feasibility & Strategy

Clients frequently ask Arc Renewables what the typical timeframe before engaging on a renewable energy feasibility study really is, and the simple answer will be down to the size of the site involved. A single-site commercial solar feasibility study UK engagement is typically completed within four to six weeks of Arc Renewables receiving all necessary site data. Possible timeframes are influenced by a handful of considerations:

• The complexity of the site (grid connection, planning)
• The speed at which Arc Renewables can get the site data you require to you initially.
• Whether the engagement is on a single site or for a multi-site portfolio programme

Multi-site portfolio programmes don't have the same one-size-fits-all timescales, because the scope grows in tandem with the number of sites involved and the extent of alignment required across sites. Energy strategy consultants for property funds and asset owners working with them are generally balancing this timetable against a set investment committee date or a lease event, rather than putting a firm commitment in place before the scope is agreed.

A feasibility study for solar energy is only worth the paper it's written on if it's willing and able to deliver an honest no, not merely a smoothed-over yes. So, in cases where energy yield modelling, financial payback calculations and the grid and planning assessment don't lead to a commercially viable option, that verdict is also given in just as simple and straightforward a manner, along with the reasons. It's not a question of policy:

• The fee for this service is paid by Arc Renewables itself, not based on whether the project moves to construction.
• The project will proceed without any commission or financial association with the counterparty or contractors involved.
• Negative findings are considered valid and valuable outcomes of the process, not a wasted effort.

That is exactly what makes independent renewable energy feasibility consultants in London and the wider clientele of Arc Renewables differ from a free study offered by a body that benefits from the results.

A solar panel feasibility assessment is not a full project and the client is in no way obligated to go ahead. For every project that shows up as viable from the level of evidence, the study will go into the recommended structure for the project and the next steps. This can include:

• Procurement strategy, where the project is ready for the tendering stage
• Grid connection management, where connection risk was identified as a key factor
• Progression into detailed design, where the technical and commercial case is already clear
• Where the asset is already operational, a UK renewable energy maintenance plan including ongoing performance monitoring and oversight of operation and maintenance (O&M)

This was the very next step defined in the conclusions of the study, rather than a step based on a somewhat standardised solutions template that was applied automatically regardless of what was determined in the feasibility work. So a client moving forward is doing so based on the actual conclusions of the feasibility work for their specific site and situation.