On site at Abengoa's Solana Generating Station near Phoenix, Arizona, USA. This concentrating solar power (CSP) project uses thousands of parabolic trough collectors to create thermal energy sufficient for 250 MW of power output and 6 hours of molten salt storage. Our staff carried out due diligence on a transaction involving this project.
On most every energy project—be it a solar PV facility, energy storage system (ESS), or microgrid—technical advisors help stakeholders assess, progress, and ultimately achieve successful outcomes.
Generate Advisory (GA) is a technical consultancy comprised of a team of engineers and consultants, Collectively we have decades of experience in consulting and design pertaining to renewable energy, storage, and microgrids, and we are passionate about supporting our clients with the expertise gained throughout our careers.
For additional information on specific roles GA may take on a standard project, we provide a brief description below, which references the stakeholder chart below the text:
When a technical advisor supports the developer/owner/sponsor, often this role is referred to as the Owner’s Engineers (OE), and the scope of services varies widely, depending on the technical needs of the client. If a client already has substantial (and available) in-house technical capabilities, then an OE may not be needed at all, or their role may be minor. However, if a developer does not have this in-house support, then an OE can provide a wide range of services, from feasibility studies, yield assessments and preliminary designs all the way through to detailed designs, contract development support, procurement support, construction monitoring, and much more. GA has extensive OE capabilities and experience - please get in touch for more information.
When supporting lenders or other financial institutions, technical advisors act as a lenders technical advisor (LTA), which is primarily a due diligence exercise that takes place prior to financial close and continuing throughout construction and operation to ensure the asset is derisked and complying with key project contracts. GA staff has served as LTA on a multitude of energy projects all over the African continent.
When an asset is being considered for a sale, the owner of the asset (i.e. the vendor) hires a technical advisor to carry out a vendor’s technical due diligence exercise as part of a broader transaction advisory exercise. This due diligence work is subsequently scrutinized by several interested buyers and their appointed buyer’s technical advisors.
Technical advisors can also consult directly for engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors as well, generally with design, procurement, and/or construction supervision services.
Finally, in some markets, the Offtaker (e.g. Eskom in South Africa) will also have a technical advisor keep an eye on projects in construction, which is a role referred to as the Independent Engineer (IE).
While we have significant experience in the utility-scale space, there’s no denying our passion for off-grid and hybrid projects, including microgrids/mini-grids. Whether the project requires single or three-phase solar pumping systems; a battery backup system with a grid connection; or a complete hybrid solar-storage microgrid electrifying a village or city block, we relish the technical and financial challenges within each of these projects. Below is a small sample of some of our off-grid and microgrid experience.
Chris led the team providing Owner’s Engineering services to Powerhive for microgrid projects in both Nigeria and Kenya. He supported the larger Nigerian project in early phases with loads assessments, HOMER simulations, and grid design optimizations. He also supported Powerhive on several Kenya projects in construction with design reviews, constructing monitoring, and commissioning support.
GA provided technical advisory services to 1Power, a US-based microgrid IPP developing a portfolio of rural electrification microgrids in Lesotho. We provided a suite of services, incl. yield assessments and component optimisations, selecting the design strategy and components for both the energy plant and reticulation systems, cost estimates, geotechnical advisory, and much more.
Chris supported UNOPS Sierra Leone with several solar pumping projects. Chris carried out the design and then provided support through the tendering process as well as during construction and commissioning. The 25+ systems are providing much needed water to health clinics in the Ebola-ravaged country.
Chris was contracted by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for a feasibility study of renewable energy for several teachers training institutes (TTIS) throughout the Republic of South Sudan. He recommended energy efficiency measures to reduce energy loads and renewable energy to reduce energy costs. Stand-alone solar PV with battery backup was selected and an optimization study with diesel generation backup was carried out in order to determine the ideal energy supply system on a life-cycle cost basis.
Chris performed a loads analysis and solar energy technical advisory services for a community center in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Chris provided all the necessary technical input for an RFP tender of a battery- backup grid-tie solar PVsystem, as well as oversaw the procurement process as the project’s technical expert, which included responding to technical clarifications as well as conducting the review of all of the technical proposals. Chris worked with the winning bidder to finalize the 48 V battery backup system design and UNOPS has awarded the contract. Project is currently operational.
Chris was contracted by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for a feasibility study of three solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to augment the power supply for reverse osmosis desalination plants on three of the 200 inhabited islands. An optimization analysis was performed to determine the ideal energy supply system on a life-cycle cost basis. After performing a feasibility and LCCA study for UNOPS for a PV-powered RO desalination facility—this time on Hinnavaru Island—Chris then designed the energy supply system (consisting of PV, deep discharge lead-acid battery banks, and diesel gensets) and wrote the technical specification for the tender documentation.
Technical consultancy services for SunEdison on a PV-diesel hybrid system for a mine in South Africa. The optimization analysis was carried out first, using a combination of PVsyst and HOMER. Using the results, an optimized system capacity for the ground-mount horizontal tracking PV system was selected—3.6 MWp—and the detailed design of the system was carried out. As part of the design package, the high-PV-penetration hybrid system control strategy was also developed.
While there is no concrete definition for utility-scale, we like to classify these projects generally as medium-to large-scale facilities with the sole purpose of exporting power to a utility offtaker. These can range from a few MW into the hundreds of MW. We have experience on utility-scale projects in solar PV, concentrating solar power (CSP), and wind. Below is a small sample of some of our experience.
Chris performed lender’s technical advisory (LTA) services for a small PV project in the south of Namibia. A thorough pre-financial close due diligence was performed on the project’s important aspects, such as contracts, design, environmental, yield, etc. The team is currently monitoring the progress of the facility’s ongoing construction.
Chris was lead PM for international six-company consortium providing technical consultancy services over a two-year period to the largest utility company in BiH for a 50 MW wind farm project near Vlašić Mountain, also in Bosnia. Services included bankability and feasibility studies, full ESIA, geotechnical investigations, birds & bats monitoring and radar, grid connection study, concept design and full tender docs.
Due diligence (DD) services on behalf of Abengoa bondholders for Abengoa’s 110 MWe net (121 MWe gross) parabolic trough concentrated solar power (CSP) plant with 4.5 hours of molten salt TES in the Negev Desert in Israel, in construction. Chris reviewed the construction progress against the projected schedule, contractual risk (EPC, O&M, Water, PPA, Concession, CTA, etc.), technology risk, yield assumptions, technical inputs into the financial model, etc.
Vendor’s due diligence (VDD) services on behalf of a confidential client on their solar photovoltaic assets located throughout Italy. Chris led and performed the bulk of the VDD work on seven PV projects totaling 50 MWp. He reviewed operation history including performance ratio, generation, and assessment of any issues experienced; design review; risk analysis; asset management; and business plan review.
Buyer’s due diligence (BDD) services on behalf of a confidential client on two potential wind farm portfolios they were interested in acquiring in Portugal. Chris led and performed the bulk of the BDD work on the two portfolios, which together included over 50 different wind Farms and 1.5 GW in total capacity. He reviewed and assessed operational history including availability, generation, any issues experienced; design review; risk analysis; asset management; and business plan review.
Technical and financial due diligence on behalf of a developer of a 600+ MWp solar PV facility in the Atacama Desert region of Northern Chile. Chris led the technical portion of this work, reviewing several analysis models and their inputs, which ranged from derate assumptions such as module degradation, to CAPEX and OPEX, to the solar resource, to the estimated energy yield, etc.
Chris Brosz is founder and Managing Director of Generate Advisory. Prior to this, Chris worked as an energy consultant for over a decade with Arup, a global engineering consultancy, where he was recognized as one of the firm’s foremost experts in solar PV and microgrids. Either as PM or a team member, Chris has played a role on over 150 projects, spanning the entire project cycle from concept and design through to procurement, construction and operation.
Chris also has extensive due diligence experience supporting lenders, vendors and buyers, having advised on transactions for over 3 GW of renewable energy assets for clients that include Abengoa, e.on, Equis, GIP, RMB, and others. His clientele in the microgrid space includes various United Nations agencies, Powerhive, SunEdison, Aptech Africa, 1Power, and more.
He currently lives in Cape Town and has also worked in Madrid and Los Angeles. Chris is fluent in English and Spanish and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of California.
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