Green Energy Finance Specialist (GEFS) provides a comprehensive overview of the financing of renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency projects (EE), particularly from the bank’s perspective. This program prepares participants to lead and implement crucial processes in the green energy financial sector, including term sheet preparation and development as well as using financial models and tools to assess renewable energy projects. It combines a 20-week online phase with an additional three-day in-person seminar in mid-March 2023. Participants can choose to attend the three-day seminar either in-person in Berlin, Germany or virtually from anywhere in the world.

This programme covers:

• Fundamentals of renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) technologies
• Political and legal market frameworks
• Project financing and project evaluation (RE and EE)
• Financial modelling
• International climate finance options
• Renewable energy feasibility assessment and investment valuation

To supplement the learning experience, participants will have access to short introductory courses on energy and electricity topics. These courses are not mandatory and will not be covered in the exam.

After completing this programme, participants should be able to:

• Categorize RE and EE technologies and projects;
• Use financial models to develop term sheets for RE and EE projects;
• Compare options for international climate finance and how to access such funds;
• Interpret portfolios of RE and EE projects;
• Analyze the global and regional market development for RE and EE investments; and
• Analyze an energy efficiency project in detail, including with the use of the Energy Services Company (ESCO) model.

Duration: 20-week online training phase, combined with a three-day seminar (virtual / in person)
Study time: About 220 hours
Start dates: Seminars are scheduled to take place twice a year on the first week of March and on the first week of September.
Price: USD $3,519 Vat Inclusive (early bird pricing)

Technical Requirements:

• Access to a computer with reliable internet connection and a speed of at least 2 Mbit/s.
• An E-mail account that is frequently checked.
• A headset or speakers to listen to presentations.
• For webinars, the Adobe Connect add-in or app should be installed.
• Please note: to complete an assessment in Module 5, there is an additional technical requirement. You will need to use the Excel tool, RE Project Evaluator, to make calculations. This software is not compatible with Apple (MAC) computers.

This online training explains the most important economic aspects of renewable energy project planning. It describes the methodologies of different support mechanisms and conveys knowledge of legal and regulatory frameworks. Participants will learn which parameters are used to assess the bankability of renewable energy projects, and understand a banker’s view on risks related to PV, wind and biogas projects. The course includes a checklist for the project developer to ensure that all data that the bank requires is ordered and complete. The elective course allows insights in the planning process for a medium to large-scale biogas plant – from the earliest stages to implementation.

Introductory courses.
Each participant will have access to short introductory courses on energy and electricity topics to learn or revise the basics. These courses are not mandatory, and will not be covered in the exam.

Biogas

• The anaerobic digestion process – Types of process and process parameters
• Special substrates and sustainability
• Special technologies for biogas plants and main components
• Biogas application
• Treatment of digestate
• Example Biogas plant
• Feasibility studies
• Realisation
• Safety aspects
• Cash flow analysis
• Operation and maintenance

Economics courses

• Methodology of project valuation
• Support mechanisms for renewable energy projects
• Renewable energy project finance

This programme covers:

• Fundamentals of renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) technologies
• Political and legal market frameworks
• Project financing and project evaluation (RE and EE)
• Financial modelling
• International climate finance options
• Renewable energy feasibility assessment and investment valuation

To supplement the learning experience, participants will have access to short introductory courses on energy and electricity topics. These courses are not mandatory and will not be covered in the exam.

After completing this programme, participants should be able to:

• Calculate relevant economic parameters of a renewable energy project
• Decide which support mechanisms are applicable
• Prepare the data required for a bankability assessment
• Define the necessary steps from planning to O&M for the elective technology

This training will suit those who:

Are charged with setting the scene for a renewable energy project
Need to deal with various stakeholders in a project appraisal process
Will supervise the implementation of a biogas plant

Duration: 6 months
Study time: About 130 hours
Training language: English or Spanish
Price: USD $1,210 Vat Inclusive (early bird pricing)

With focus on Wind Power technology, this online training allows insights in the planning process for a medium to large-scale wind farm – from the earliest stages to implementation.
This online training explains the most important economic aspects of renewable energy project planning. It describes the methodologies of different support mechanisms and conveys knowledge of legal and regulatory frameworks. Participants will learn which parameters are used to assess the bankability of renewable energy projects, and understand a banker’s view on risks related to PV, wind and biogas projects. The course includes a checklist for the project developer to ensure that all data that the bank requires is ordered and complete.

Introductory courses
Each participant will have access to short introductory courses on energy and electricity topics to learn or revise the basics. These courses are not mandatory, and will not be covered in the exam.

After completing this programme, participants should be able to:

• Calculate relevant economic parameters of a RE project
• Decide which support mechanisms or regulatory policies are applicable
• Prepare the data required for a bankability assessment
• Define the necessary steps from planning to O&M for the elective technology

This training suits those who:

• Are charged with setting the scene for a RE project
• Need to deal with various stakeholders in a project appraisal process
• Will supervise the implementation of a power plant of a chosen technology

Duration: 6 months
Study time: About 130 hours
Training language: English or Spanish
Price: USD $1,210 Vat Inclusive (early bird pricing).

Electrical energy stands out in importance due to the many applications that it has and the many more that are currently being developed for it. This growing demand means that larger quantities of electrical power must be produced, and this must be done in a sustainable and low carbon-intensity manner. As such, renewable sources of electrical energy, harnessing resources such as solar energy or the wind, are gaining in importance within the electrical energy mix. Given how these are produced, an important part of these are known as variable renewable energy (VRE).

Power generation based on VRE poses new challenges to power grids. Some of these challenges can be addressed by adapting power systems’ flexibility to the increasingly variable power generation output from VRE sources.

This course focuses on:

• Boundary conditions and procedures for grid operation
• Infrastructure improvements for VRE integration
• Congestion management considering low carbon emissions
• After completing this programme, participants should be able to:
• Identify the technical limits of electrical grids;
• Describe the most important boundary conditions and procedures for grid operation;
• Explain which grid infrastructure components allow the transmission and distribution of high shares of VRE generation across the power system; and
• Analyze congestion management procedures considering low carbon emissions.

This course is suitable for those whom:

• Are involved in grid operation, transmission and distribution with high shares of variable renewable energy (VRE);
• Want to understand the available options to manage grid infrastructure with a high amount of VRE; or
• Need to develop strategies to integrate VRE into grid operation (T&TEC / MPU / Guyana Power and Light / Jamaica Public Service / Barbados Light and Power / others)

Duration: 1 months
Study time: About 20 hours
Training language: English
Price: USD $265 Vat Inclusive (early bird pricing)

A large part of the power sector has already been digitalised. The more that generation shifts from centralised thermal systems to decentralized, renewable systems, the greater the potential for applying modern digital tools in system control. Digitalisation is the key technology that makes it possible to organise decentralised networks and thus contribute to decarbonisation while maintaining a high level of security of supply.

In this course, you will learn why digitalisation is a key driver for building the sustainable power systems of the future and how it can contribute to decarbonisation.

This course focuses on:

• The energy economics background of digitalisation of the power sector
• Opportunities and risks of digitalisation for sustainability and decarbonisation
• Key technologies
• Smart generation, transmission and consumption
• Smart markets and process
• Risks and cyber security

After completing this program, participants should be able to:

• Identify the areas of the power sector which are most affected by digitalisation;
• Assess potential advantages for society, the economy and market participants arising from the digitalisation of the power sector;
• Identify and explain the most important technologies which form the basis for the current digitalisation of the power sector;
• Explain how these technologies can be applied in order to optimise generation, transmission, storage and consumption of electrical power;
• Understand which aspects of digitalisation support decarbonisation and energy efficiency efforts, and which can put these objectives at risk;
• Demonstrate how digital technologies shape existing markets and processes, and how they may create new ones; and
• Describe the risks arising from the increasing digitalisation of the power sector and create counter measures against potential attacks.

This course is suitable for those whom:

• Are involved in the energy sector and want to understand the link between digitalisation and energy; or
• Would like to become well acquainted with current trends in smart grid development (T&TEC / MPU / Guyana Power and Light / Jamaica Public Service / Barbados Light and Power / others).

Duration: 1 months
Study time: About 20 hours
Training language: English
Price: USD $265 Vat Inclusive (early bird pricing)

This course examines the rationale used for sizing battery storage systems (BESS) for grid ancillary services in order to solve power quality problems. It gives an overview of the motivation, methods, and best practices for the early steps followed to determine the suitability of a BESS for a given ancillary service. As such, it provides one of the many tools that are used to evaluate and optimise the use and location of BESS.

This course focuses on:

• Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) sizing for ancillary services
• BESS economics in ancillary services
• BESS performance

After completing this program, participants should be able to:

• Explain why Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) providing ancillary services can reduce the need for the thermal must-run power station fraction;
• Identify the relevant factors used to size a BESS for ancillary services;
• Apply basic methodology for an optimal sizing of BESS; and
• Extract relevant information from the sizing to evaluate a BESS business case.

This course is suitable for those whom:

• Have an advanced knowledge of electrical engineering;
• Are involved in the planning of battery systems; or
• Are interested in the rationale used when sizing BESS in ancillary services to solve power quality problems.

Duration: 1 months
Study time: About 30 hours
Training language: English
Price: USD $265 Vat Inclusive (early bird pricing)