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Photovoltaic tender
Planning PV projects correctly and selecting components
New requirements for public and commercial PV projects
Anyone preparing a photovoltaic tender or participating in one as a bidder must now take more factors into account than just output, cost-effectiveness and price. Technical requirements, sustainability, origin, supply chains and resilience are playing an increasingly important role in the procurement of photovoltaic systems.
With the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), the question of where key components of a PV system are manufactured and how resilient their supply chains are is becoming particularly important. This applies to solar modules as well as PV inverters.
It is therefore worthwhile for public contracting authorities, planners, project developers, EPCs and installers to take the requirements of a PV tender into account right from the system planning stage.
Are you planning a PV project with specific requirements regarding origin and resilience? Please
get in touch with us to discuss your project’s requirements.
Head of Sales DACH
Hans-Bernd Wiesener
Mobile: +49 172 8556959
Email: h.wiesener@kostal.com
Head of Sales for Europe
Lars Brinkmeyer
Mobile: +49 163 9160186
Email: l.brinkmeyer@kostal.com
What should you bear in mind when taking part in a photovoltaic tender?
A PV tender sets out the technical, economic and, where applicable, regulatory requirements for a photovoltaic project. Depending on the project, the following points, for example, may be relevant:
- System capacity and technical design
- Requirements for solar modules and inverters
- Battery storage and energy management
- Grid connection and feed-in management
- Technical standards and certificates
- Warranty and service
- Sustainability requirements
- Origin of components
- Supply chain resilience
- Required manufacturer and supplier documentation
Which criteria are binding is determined by the relevant procurement and tendering procedure.
Photovoltaic tenders and the NZIA
Through the Net-Zero Industry Act, the European Union aims to strengthen production capacities for climate-neutral technologies in Europe and reduce strategic dependencies on individual third countries. Photovoltaics is one of the net-zero technologies covered by the NZIA.
As a result, in relevant public procurement procedures, criteria other than price may take on greater significance.
The focus is on, amongst other things:
- Resilience: supply chains should be less dependent on individual third countries.
- Sustainability: Environmental requirements can be given greater consideration in procurement.
- Origin: The place of production of strategically relevant technologies and components may be relevant to the evaluation of a tender.
- Traceability: Depending on the tender, specific information and documents regarding origin and the supply chain may be required.
For bidders, this means that the choice of components can have a direct impact on a PV project’s eligibility for tender.
Non-price criteria: When price isn’t the only deciding factor
In a traditional tender process, price is often of particular importance. European industrial policy broadens this perspective. So-called ‘non-price criteria’ allow other aspects of a tender to be taken into account. Depending on the specific procedure, these may include, for example:
- Resilience
- Sustainability
- Responsible procurement
- Origin
- Supply chain security
This opens up a new perspective on the procurement of photovoltaic systems. It is not just the lowest purchase price of a component that matters, but also its contribution to a resilient and sustainable PV system.
Which components might be relevant in a PV tender?
The requirements for resilience are not necessarily limited to solar modules. The NZIA examines various key components of the photovoltaic value chain. These include, amongst others:
- PV polysilicon
- Ingots and wafers
- PV cells
- Solar glass
- PV modules
- PV inverters
- PV trackers and specific mounting structures
This means that, when preparing a photovoltaic tender, clients and bidders should not only consider the origin of the modules. The choice of inverter can also be relevant to the resilience of the overall project.
Are you planning a tender for a photovoltaic system?
Technical considerations, cost-effectiveness and regulatory requirements should be considered together from the outset in larger PV projects. KOSTAL offers inverters manufactured in Germany and across Europe for residential, commercial and large-scale photovoltaic applications.
If the origin, resilience or European value creation of your project are key considerations, please speak to us at an early stage about the requirements of your tender.
KOSTAL will help you select the right inverter solution for your PV project.
Head of Sales for
Germany, Austria and Switzerland Hans-Bernd Wiesener
Mobile: +49 172 8556959
Email: h.wiesener@kostal.com
Head of Sales for Europe
Lars Brinkmeyer
Mobile: +49 163 9160186
Email: l.brinkmeyer@kostal.com
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