Finance tailor made: Part four: when it comes to financing a wind farm there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Abstract

TAILORING THE right funding structure for a wind development depends on where in the world you plan to build, what scale of project you have in mind, and whether it's a purely private or community endeavour. As the wind industry has matured and the market grown exponentially in recent years, so too has the very nature of doing business in the sector. The kinds of companies involved are no longer limited to small specialist developers; project sizes have rocketed, and the funding options for projects are now extensive. While particularly popular for footing the high upfront bill of wind projects outside of the U.S., project finance (discussed in the previous article in this series - see links opposite) supplied by commercial banks or large investment funds is not the only route developers can pursue. “Although there are still many small, privately owned projects, a substantial shift towards bigger, utility-owned projects can be observed. This change brings new money to the industry and decreases dependence on banks for initial funding,” notes Wind Energy: The Facts, concluding: “Powerful sponsors are also arriving on the scene.”