Key Contracts In Solar Developments: An Overview

The drive to net zero is ramping up, with a target date of 2045 in Scotland and 2050 in England, and the number of new onshore renewable energy developments continues to grow rapidly. Solar energy developments are no exception, albeit with fewer located in Scotland than in England due to the obvious differences in climate!

As with all energy developments, a robust contractual framework is the primary aspect of allocating risk and ensuring effective project delivery. There is a wide suite of agreements which may be entered into in the context of a ground-mounted solar farm, however, the principal contract forms involved are i) option agreements, ii) leases, iii) EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contracts and iv) O&M (operations and maintenance) agreements.