Renewable Energy Siting & Feasibility

WorleyParsons Capabilities
Regulatory Analysis and Planning
Land Use Evaluation and Planning
Sensitive Receptor Evaluation
Biological and Cultural Impact
Assessments
Critical Infrastructure Availability
Site Screening, Comparison and
Ranking
Solar Intensity Screening,
Assessment and Modeling
Meteorological Station
Specification and Installation
Technology Assessments
Plant Design Optimization
Interconnection Studies and
Applications
Economic and Financial Evaluations
Tender/RFP/RFQ Management and
Evaluation
Stakeholder Outreach and
Involvement

Siting & Feasibility Evaluation

WorleyParsons specializes in examination of technical,
environmental, regulatory, commercial, economic, site and
regional factors to identify siting, technologies, plant sizing,
configuration, costs, risks and success factors for renewable
energy projects.

Site Selection Steps

WorleyParsons works closely with customers to develop
siting criteria targeted to support project objectives based
on technological, regional and permitting requirements. Our
experts will collect pertinent data from public, agency and
private sources as well as utilize our extensive in-house library
of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data. These data are
evaluated to eliminate areas with critical flaws from further
consideration, then screened and ranked on a preliminary basis.
The ranking is revisited and refined as further information is
received and processed to develop a more detailed comparison
of candidate sites. Using a weighted ranking system, sites are
then objectively compared in terms of suitability, risk, generation
potential and cost of development and operation.

Solar Radiation
Solar radiation is possibly the most important data to acquire
and can be one of the highest risks to the business case for
a solar power facility. It can result in a significantly higher
capital cost or a significant reduction in the power output the
facility can generate, both of which increase lifecycle costs.
A comprehensive prescreening and review of solar radiation
and all the available resources is required for a successful solar
development and is the first step to ensure the most feasible,
productive, and economically viable project.
WorleyParsons has the capability to provide an initial
prescreening and site analysis to establish the best location for a
solar project with the most reliable solar radiation data available.

RenewableEnergy@worleyparsons.com
www.worleyparsons.com/csg/power

Experience

EcoNomicsTM Site Selection Concentrating Solar

Thermal Power
Customer:
Timeframe:
Location:
Office:

Confidential
2008 2008
California, US
California, US

WorleyParsons developed an
innovative EcoNomics-based
approach to optimize site
selection for parabolic trough
and central receiver-based
thermal solar power plants.
Initial steps consisted of GIS
based evaluation of a broad area
and identification and relative
ranking of subareas based
on resource quality, physical
conditions (e.g., topography),
availability of infrastructure,
and potential environmental and
permitting constraints.
Each factor contributing to site
performance was weighted
based on its contribution to
revenue or development cost,
and the results geographically
mapped to identify optimal
areas for development.

CC0512

Feasibility Study: Comparison Ouarzazate 500 MW

Solar Energy Project
of PV Technologies
Customer:
Timeframe:
Location:
Office:

Pacific West Energy

2007 2010
Hawaii, US
California, US

WorleyParsons completed a
feasibility study to support
selection of an optimal PV solar
plant location for a mini-grid
application in Hawaii.

Customer: MASEN
Timeframe: 2010 2012
Location: Ouarzazate , Morocco
Office:
California, US
Madrid, Spain

WorleyParsons performed a
study for the Government of
Morocco to evaluate the siting
and technologies for 500 MW of
solar generation.

Work included conceptual

design, performance modeling,
and estimation of the Levelized
Cost of Energy for several PV
technologies and configurations
for a 5 MV solar power plant.

The study included an analysis

of available solar radiation
and local resources as well
as an evaluation of the local
impacts due to construction
and operation. Technology
Technologies compared included assessments included the
single-axis tracking flat plate
feasibility of multiple plants
PV, fixed flat plate PV, and two- incorporating concentrating
axis tracking concentrating PV. solar thermal, photovoltaic and
concentrated PV technologies.
WorleyParsons also developed
a multifunctional specification,
financial analysis, technical
support for World Bank
financing, and support for
infrastructure development.