PPA

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Five key trends from the flexible asset PPA market

    On 20 May, we published our sixth edition of our Flexible Asset PPA Market report. This is our biannual survey and analysis of the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) market for flexible assets in GB, seeking to understand the market size, active offtakers and optimisers in the space, latest market trends,...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    Perspective | Is the design of the electricity market costing consumers money?

    This article is from our Energy Spectrum publication which was published on 4 March 2022. It has become increasingly clear the existing market design is unfit for either a future net zero world or a period of fossil fuel price crisis, but what market design might be best for our...

  • Low carbon generation

    High and Volatile: Trends from our Q421 Green Power Forecast

    At the end of January we released our latest Green Power Forecast, projecting renewables generators revenues over a five-year horizon whilst also providing Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) pricing and benchmarking updates, and a survey to gauge the latest renewables market trends. Amid the current “energy crisis” arising from an underlying...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Five highlights from our latest PPA market research

    Recently, as part of both our Renewable PPA Market Share and Green Power Forecast reports, we have undertaken research into the renewables PPA market, hearing views from generators, offtakers and other renewables PPA market participants. Our recent Chart of the Week detailed the latest research from our Renewable PPA Market...

  • Net zero corporates and ESG

    The stakes are higher than they seem: the current energy challenge and net zero

    It has been an incredibly challenging week in the UK energy sector, and attention has rightly focussed on consumer protection, and indirectly on the state of the energy supply markets. However, it would be a mistake to believe that the ramifications of supplier failure will be limited only to this...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Investor optimism sparks PPA competition

    In recent months, Cornwall Insight has issued several of our regular subscription reports from our PPA Insights Service covering both renewable and flexibility Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) markets, namely the Green Power Forecast, Renewable PPA Market Share and Flexible PPA Market reports. As part of these reports, we conduct surveys...

  • Net zero corporates and ESG

    Sleeving Pools could enable local authorities to procure local energy

    This blog post is adapted from an article in March’s issue of Energy net zero, published on 31 March. To find out more about a subscription to Energy net zero, please contact Veronica at v.truman@cornwall-insight.com. For many local authorities and corporates, development of small-scale renewables and consideration of generation production...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    The future of power prices: Black swans and dragon kings

    Understanding the long-term trajectory of the wholesale market is critical to new generation assets and their investment viability. Here at Cornwall Insight, we support market participants in assessing the potential outlook for wholesale power markets through our long-term market Benchmark Power Curve service. We’ve just updated our latest curves out...

  • Low carbon generation

    Flexible Asset PPAs – more capacity, more competition

    The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) market for flexible assets in the last six months has both grown in size and seen increased levels of competition as new offtakers and optimisers make themselves known in the market. What do we mean by the PPA market for flexible assets? We mean the...

  • Low carbon generation

    Editor’s Pick | A marathon and a sprint? What next for onshore renewables?

    This article was originally published in Energy Spectrum Issue 702 on 17 February 2020. For recent news and analysis on the energy market, find out more about our weekly publication, Energy Spectrum, here. In this week’s Energy Perspective, we take a look at the renewables pipeline and ask whether the volume of new...

  • Announcement

    2019: a year of firsts for Cornwall Insight

    This Christmas, our CEO, Gareth Miller has taken a look at how much the team has achieved during 2019. It has been a year of many firsts for us, some of which are highlighted in our infographic below. DOWNLOAD THE INFOGRAPHIC HERE For this year's Chart of the Week highlights: The top...

  • Low carbon generation

    Corporate PPAs: Signed, sealed… delivered?

    Back in April of this year, following Amazon’s announcement of Ireland’s first unsubsidised corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA), we asked if this Amazon deal signalled growth in this sector or whether this would be an isolated example. Since then, the Irish Government published the Climate Action Plan (CAP) in June,...

  • Low carbon generation

    Cornwall Insight’s CfD floor price proposal gains traction as STA calls for government to adapt policy

    The STA issued an updated cost assessment of PV on Tuesday 11 December and also called on BEIS to introduce a technology-neutral floor-price Contract for Difference to help renewables investment come forward in a subsidy free environment. The CfD floor price structure is a proposal we developed in early summer, and we...

  • Low carbon generation

    Relight my fire: liquidity in the Irish PPA market

    Previously we explored how the Irish Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) market is evolving in response to the I-SEM. We have extensively researched this market to understand PPA pricing, competition and contract structuring. This culminated in the release of our inaugural Irish PPA market report in July. However, overall market share...

  • Low carbon generation

    Revelation: RESS-ult?

    The renewables sector cautiously welcomed the 24 July decision on the High-Level Design (HLD) of the Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS). The HLD’s emphasis on the first RESS auction supporting projects that could be built out by the end of 2020 energised the solar community. The Irish Wind Energy Association...

  • Low carbon generation

    More Than a Feeling: Emerging Trends in the PPA Market

    Earlier this year we published a blog exploring the options for imbalance risk allocation within I-SEM Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). In this, we explained that generators would be inclined to pass the full risk of imbalance to offtakers. This was due to their relevant market experience and the need for...

  • Heat networks

    Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: REFIT in I-SEM

    Last week the Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment (DCCAE) decided on the transition of REFIT to I-SEM. DCCAE confirmed that it will adopt a “Blended Approach” to the calculation of the Total Market Revenue (TMR), which is used to estimate the level of support provided under the scheme....

  • Low carbon generation

    Take on me: PPA options to manage imbalance

    The I-SEM delay may give renewables generators some pause for thought in relation to Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) or trading contracts. Six months gives more time for any open negotiations on PPAs to continue and we believe some key risks will need to be negotiated. However, negotiations on many contracts...

  • Low carbon generation

    De-minimis benefits and the law of unintended consequences

    In this blog, we explore the effects of changing to gross demand under I-SEM on small-scale generators. Projects below 10MW, termed “de minimis” in the Single Electricity Market (SEM), are not required to actively trade. Instead, they enter into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with a supplier to be absorbed...

  • Low carbon generation

    PPA market interviews: 5 key trends in the renewables market

    As a part of Cornwall Insight’s Green Power Forecast report, we interviewed a number of suppliers, offtakers and generators in the market to identify key trends in the renewables Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) market. Here we detail five key trends that came from our interviews and research. The PPA market...