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Postgraduate Diploma in Economic Evaluation and Solar PPAs

Online 800-hour Postgraduate Diploma in Economic Evaluation and Solar PPAs. 8 modules covering Law 24/2013 on the Electricity Sector, Royal Decree 413/2014 (renewable generation) and PVsyst. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.

Duration800 h
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
Enrol now View syllabus Ask an advisor

Postgraduate Diploma in Economic Evaluation and Solar PPAs — studying from Australia

Australia's energy sector is undergoing major transition, with significant growth in renewable generation, grid-scale storage and transmission upgrades. The National Electricity Market and the Wholesale Electricity Market in Western Australia are key frameworks shaping investment and operations. Engineers work on network planning, power system analysis, asset management and integration of distributed energy resources. Employers include network operators, generators, retailers, the Australian Energy Market Operator and engineering consultancies.

Fees for Australia: 1,870 A$ (AUD), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.

Relevant bodies in Australia

  • Australian Energy Regulator (AER)
  • Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)
  • Clean Energy Regulator
  • Energy Networks Australia

Typical roles

  • Power Systems Engineer
  • Network Planning Engineer
  • Grid Integration Engineer
  • Energy Asset Engineer

Questions from Australia

Do I need to attend any campus or in-person sessions?

No. The programmes are 100% online and are completed remotely from your own location.

Can I study while working full time?

Yes. The programmes are fully online, so you can plan study around your shifts, rosters and other commitments, and each learner has an assigned technical tutor for support.

Virtual lab · try it before you enrol

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Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.

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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Estimate the solar resource and production with P50 and P90 percentiles.

02

Analyse the investment and operating costs of photovoltaic plants.

03

Project market revenues considering price cannibalisation.

04

Structure solar PPAs and analyse their key clauses.

05

Build a financial model of a solar project.

06

Identify project risks and mitigation measures.

07

Assess the impact of hybridisation with storage on profitability.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Solar investment analyst wishing to specialise in Economic Evaluation and Solar PPAs.
  • Energy financial analyst wishing to specialise in Economic Evaluation and Solar PPAs.
  • PPA originator wishing to specialise in Economic Evaluation and Solar PPAs.
  • Photovoltaic project developer wishing to specialise in Economic Evaluation and Solar PPAs.
  • Energy M&A advisor wishing to specialise in Economic Evaluation and Solar PPAs.
  • Electricity market analyst wishing to specialise in Economic Evaluation and Solar PPAs.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter solar photovoltaics.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • Law 24/2013 on the Electricity Sector
  • Royal Decree 413/2014 (renewable generation)
  • IEC 61724-1 (PV plant monitoring)
  • Regulation (EU) 1227/2011 (REMIT)
  • IFRS 9 (financial instruments)
  • Equator Principles
  • Directive (EU) 2018/2001 (guarantees of origin)
Syllabus

8 modules · 800 h

  1. 1.1Components of solar radiation
  2. 1.2Databases: PVGIS, Meteonorm and Solargis
  3. 1.3Typical meteorological years
  4. 1.4Interannual variability of the resource
  5. 1.5Production modelling with PVsyst
  6. 1.6System losses and performance ratio
  7. 1.7Module degradation
  8. 1.8P50, P90 and P99 production
  9. 1.9Bankable resource reports
  10. 1.10Workshop: P50/P90 estimate for a 100 MW PV plant
  1. 2.1CAPEX breakdown: modules, inverters and structure
  2. 2.2Trackers versus fixed structures
  3. 2.3Balance of plant and civil works
  4. 2.4Grid connection costs
  5. 2.5Development and permitting costs
  6. 2.6OPEX: O&M, insurance and land
  7. 2.7Repowering costs
  8. 2.8Module price trends
  9. 2.9Cost benchmarking
  10. 2.10Practice: parametric budget for a PV plant
  1. 3.1Solar capture price
  2. 3.2Cannibalisation and solar discount
  3. 3.3Zero and negative prices
  4. 3.4Intraday markets and imbalances
  5. 3.5Guarantees of origin
  6. 3.6Auctions under the renewables support scheme
  7. 3.7Revenues from balancing services
  8. 3.8Long-term price curve forecasting
  9. 3.9Market price scenarios
  10. 3.10Laboratory: calculating the historical capture price on OMIE
  1. 4.1Particularities of solar PPAs
  2. 4.2Pay-as-produced versus baseload
  3. 4.3PPAs with solar profile plus storage
  4. 4.4Profile coverage in hours without sun
  5. 4.5Solar PPA price and discount
  6. 4.6Cannibalisation risk in the contract
  7. 4.7Typical corporate buyers
  8. 4.8Multi-buyer contracts
  9. 4.9Term and price escalation
  10. 4.10Case study: comparison of PPA offers for a PV plant
  1. 5.1Structure of the financial model
  2. 5.2Project and shareholder cash flows
  3. 5.3LCOE of the solar plant
  4. 5.4NPV, IRR and sensitivities
  5. 5.5Debt modelling and DSCR
  6. 5.6Taxes and depreciation
  7. 5.7Merchant versus contracted scenarios
  8. 5.8Monte Carlo simulation
  9. 5.9Modelling best practice
  10. 5.10Laboratory: financial model of a PV plant with PPA
  1. 6.1Resource and production risk
  2. 6.2Price and profile risk
  3. 6.3Curtailment and constraint risk
  4. 6.4PPA counterparty risk
  5. 6.5Construction risk
  6. 6.6Component technology risk
  7. 6.7Regulatory risk
  8. 6.8Insurance and guarantees
  9. 6.9Project risk matrix
  10. 6.10Practice: project stress scenario analysis
  1. 7.1Photovoltaics with storage
  2. 7.2Agrivoltaics and dual land use
  3. 7.3Repowering older plants
  4. 7.4Value of flexibility
  5. 7.5Associated hydrogen production
  6. 7.6Large-scale industrial self-consumption
  7. 7.7Project due diligence
  8. 7.8Asset transactions and valuation
  9. 7.9Iberian market trends
  10. 7.10Case study: valuing the addition of batteries to an existing plant
  1. 8.1Definition of the plant and site
  2. 8.2P50/P90 production estimate
  3. 8.3Cost estimate
  4. 8.4Revenue scenarios
  5. 8.5Proposed PPA structure
  6. 8.6Financial model
  7. 8.7Risk analysis and sensitivities
  8. 8.8Investment recommendation
  9. 8.9Report and presentation
  10. 8.10Final review with the tutor
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine study with work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is PVsyst, advanced Excel (financial models), SAM (System Advisor Model), Python (pandas), in free, academic or evaluation versions. Case studies are worked through using real procedures for P50/P90 production estimation, construction of financial models and analysis of solar PPAs. Assessment is continuous per module, plus the final integrative project.

Accreditable laboratories(EN ISO/IEC 17025) with a rotor test rig, EMC/lightning pre-compliance, HIL/SIL, vibration/acoustics.
Evidence-led Master's Thesis:safety case, test plan, compliance dossier and operational limits.
Mentored by industry:lecturers with experience in training, , eVTOL/UAM and flight test.
Flexible delivery(hybrid/online), international cohorts and support from SEIUM Career Services.
Ethics and safety:safety-by-design approach, OT cybersecurity, DIH and compliance as pillars.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Definition of the plant and site

Estimate the solar resource and production with P50 and P90 percentiles.

P50/P90 production estimate

Analyse the investment and operating costs of photovoltaic plants.

Cost estimate

Project market revenues considering price cannibalisation.

Revenue scenarios

Structure solar PPAs and analyse their key clauses.

Proposed PPA structure

Build a financial model of a solar project.

Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Solar investment analystEnergy financial analystPPA originatorPhotovoltaic project developerEnergy M&A advisorElectricity market analyst
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
  • Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
  • Sufficient level of Spanish to follow technical regulatory texts.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

Apply now Scholarships
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme comprises 800 hours in total, spread over 6 to 8 months. That is between 10 and 15 hours a week on average, compatible with full-time employment.

The programme uses PVsyst, advanced Excel (financial models), SAM (System Advisor Model) and Python (pandas). Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the open-source alternative where one exists.

An own diploma from SEIUM upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrative project. This is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.

Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area can be credited towards the higher-level programme. Check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.

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