Utility Scale Solar Solutions

SOLA is a leading utility-scale solar PV project developer. SOLA is one of the leading developers and project originators in South Africa. Since 2008 the SOLA group has led the way in the greenfield project development for large-scale solar PV farms, developing over 265 MW of solar PV projects alongside a pipeline of 750 MW worth of projects under the banner of its previous company, Aurora Power Solutions. The project development expertise developed by Aurora in its home market, South Africa, is now applied within the SOLA Group to other promising solar PV markets in Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. SOLA takes a holistic approach to project development with detailed Geographic Information Systems (GIS) allowing the determination of the best-suited areas for the construction of PV projects. Factors such as solar radiation, critical biodiversity areas, access to the national grid, servitude requirements, road access and topography are taken into account when developing utility-scale solar PV. SOLA’s highly experienced team develops project portfolios by integrating environmental, irradiation and land data with detailed plant design and construction plans to ensure the projects are developed in the most cost effective and efficient way. Through SOLA’s experience in developing its own solar PV projects and completing due diligence on a further 500 MW of third-party projects, the team has developed a highly effective feasibility assessment system. This internal due diligence capability ensures potential project issues can be identified and addressed at the beginning of the development process. Potential investment projects are subjected to a detailed due diligence and thorough macroeconomic and sociopolitical assessments. In addition to investment by SOLA, the team has an established track record of raising both equity and debt funding for solar PV projects. These may include utility-scale solar farms or rooftop installations.