Join the Clinton Climate Initiative’s knowledge sharing series on floating solar for islands, with a new run of our exclusive short courses. The short courses were first held in December 2020, and based on high demand are running again in October-November 2021 with new and additional content.

View a recording of CCI’s 2020 webinar in partnership with Island Innovation here:

Aimed at solar practitioners and management and staff from the utility and regulators. Participants are expected to have a technical or engineering background with basic knowledge of electrical and power systems, as the course will provide a deeper dive into the key technical aspects associated with FPV fundamentals, design, and connection to the grid. The course will consist of four 2-hour webinars:

Aimed at policymakers, utility representatives, consultants, and other energy practitioners who are interested in de-risking and procuring floating solar projects in islands. This track will cover the basics of floating solar technology, but no prior technical knowledge is assumed. The course will draw on the case of the Seychelles floating PV tender as a basis to provide practical insights and training on running a successful tender of small-scale renewables. Though the course focuses on floating solar, the concepts and lessons can also be applied to the tender of other renewable energy technologies. The course will consist of three two-hour modules:

Participants who attend all sessions of their selected track(s) will receive a certificate of completion. 

About CCI: Launched in 2012, CCI’s Islands Energy Program advances President Clinton’s commitment to combating climate change. CCI works with islands in the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean to develop scalable projects that can be tailored to local conditions while also serving as innovative models for tackling global climate change. This approach helps provide real-world demonstrations of how to cut emissions, grow economies, and deliver real progress toward a sustainable future built on renewable energy. 

About IDB: The Inter-American Development Bank is devoted to improving lives. Established in 1959, the IDB is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social, and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB also conducts cutting-edge research and provides policy advice, technical assistance, and training to public and private sector clients throughout the region.

About Multiconsult: Multiconsult is one of the leading firms of consulting engineers and designers in Norway and Scandinavia, with 2855 permanent staff and expertise spanning a wide range of disciplines. This enables Multiconsult to take charge of complex projects within fields such as water, energy, and the environment. Since its establishment, Multiconsult has carried out several thousand separate international assignments in more than 100 countries worldwide. Multiconsult has pursued floating solar PV as a strategic service area for several years, and already has extensive experience and some of the thought leaders in this niche market particularly in Asia and Africa.

For questions please contact Fiona Wilson [email protected] 
or Jordi Abadal Colomina [email protected]

Join the Clinton Climate Initiative’s knowledge sharing series on floating solar for islands, with a new run of our exclusive short courses. The short courses were first held in December 2020, and based on high demand are running again in September-October 2021 with new and additional content. 

View a recording of CCI’s webinar in partnership with Island Innovation here:
Floating solar: Part of the solution for island nations?

Join one of CCI’s mini-courses on floating solar for islands
Participation is free with limited numbers to ensure an interactive and high-quality experience. A majority of seats prioritize those working in CCI partner islands and IDB clients, though additional seats will be reserved for others to ensure a diversity of perspectives and experience.

Register your interest and complete the short application:

Register Now

September-October 2021

Technical track: (Dates TBD, 2021)
Aimed at solar practitioners and management and staff from the utility and regulators. Participants are expected to have a technical or engineering background with basic knowledge of electrical and power systems, as the course will provide a deeper dive into the key technical aspects associated with FPV fundamentals, design, and connection to the grid. The course will consist of four 2-hour webinars:

Part I: FPV fundamentals and design considerations 

• Webinar 1.1: Solar PV Design Workshops (2 hrs):

  • Introduction to solar PV and floating solar PV

  • FPV market & current market trends

  • DC and AC design basics, solar angles

  • Grid connection (MV/HV) basics

  • Introduction to PV Simulatio Software and FPV tool

  • PV installations under extreme weather conditions (NEW)

[date and time TBD], 2021
 

• Webinar 1.2 Designing of FPV Systems for Island States (3 hours):

  • FPV site survey, bathymetric, geotechnical requirements

  • Main FPV suppliers

  • Main components of FPV and selection criteria

  • Cable management

  • Data requirements (Wind, Water, Irradiation)

  • Anchoring and Mooring design considerations

  • Operation and Maintenance considerations

  • Case study

[date and time TBD], 2021


Part II: Grid protection and integration

• Webinar 2.1: Protection and coordination in transmission and distribution networks:

  • Calculation of short-circuit currents - the foundation of our settings

  • Measurement equipment - CTs and VTs

  • Time-current charts

  • Selectivity in the protection strategy

  • Inverse and definite time overcurrent - I>, I>> (ANSI 50, 51)

  • Distance protection- Z<(ANSI 21)

  • Differential protection - IΔ> (ANSI 87T)

  • Thermal protection by Resistance Thermal Device - 49RTD

[date and time TBD], 2021
 

• Webinar 2.2: Optimal power system operation

  • Minimization of losses

    • Techno-economic optimization of the grid connection

    • Impact of the PV plant on steady-state grid conditions

    • Bottlenecks and thermal capacity

    • Voltage stability

    • Total system losses

    • Typical PV production profile

    • Typical load profile

    • Power losses vs. energy losses

  • Maximization of efficiency

    • Maximum and optimum penetration rate of solar PV

    • Energy storage and its role in optimizing system efficiency

    • Impact of the PV plant on dynamic conditions in the power system

[date and time TBD], 2021


Part III: PV hybrids

• Webinar 3.1: Hybrid hydro-connected floating solar PV:

  • Introduction and context: benefits and Challenges

  • Brief introduction to hydropower

    • Run-of-river vs. reservoir

    • Design and operations key considerations

  • Co-location vs. hybrid systems

  • Potential benefits, costs, technical and economic constraints related to hybrid operations of solar PV-hydropower (with at least a small reservoir)

  • Sizing and operational/scheduling issues

  • Power system-wide implications of hybrid operations

  • Related implications: wear and tear on equipment, downstream impacts, etc.

  • When might a hybrid option be relevant for my plant/power system?

[date and time TBD], 2021
 

• Webinar 3.2: PV diesel hybrids

  • The case for hybrids and reduction of diesel costs: the economics

  • Introduction about hybrid system components and their functions

    • Diesel generators

    • Controllers and inverters

  • Simulations of PV diesel energy performance

    • Available sizing software tools

    • Simulations of energy output

  • Security of supply concerns

[date and time TBD], 2021

Procurement & de-risking  track: [date and time TBD], 2021

Aimed at policymakers, utility representatives, consultants, and other energy practitioners who are interested in de-risking and procuring floating solar projects in islands. This track will cover the basics of floating solar technology, but no prior technical knowledge is assumed. The course will draw on the case of the Seychelles floating PV tender as a basis to provide practical insights and training on running a successful tender of small-scale renewables. Though the course focuses on floating solar, the concepts and lessons can also be applied to the tender of other renewable energy technologies. The course will consist of three two-hour modules:

Module 1 - Floating solar PV technology: Key issues to consider in preparing for IPP tender: Introduction to the technologies, key considerations, strategic decisions to be made, technology opportunities and challenges, grid-connection, etc. This will involve a particular focus on FPV, including market updates, costs, key characteristics, technological challenges with a focus on anchoring and mooring.

[date and time TBD], 2021

Module 2 - Preparation and documentation: Suite of legal documents, preparatory studies, and other processes: A hands-on overview of what documentation the team put together for the Seychelles tender, together with the logic behind the documents, key decisions, and processes, and key steps towards launching a tender.

[date and time TBD], 2021

Module 3 - Tender implementation: timelines, roles, tools, communication: A hands-on overview of how the team implemented the tender, the tools utilized, the communication, time-frames, etc a bit on outcomes. Module 3 will close with a summary, wrap-up, and e-distribution of Certificates of Completion. 

[date and time TBD], 2021