Orange Button initiative launches solar energy project working group

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot initiative, the Orange Button initiative is designed to simplify and standardize data across the solar project lifecycle, enhance data quality, and make solar transactions more efficient.

Industry consortium SGIP and partner Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) are tasked with organizing a wide array of market participants to drive strategy and to collect business requirements from a variety of perspectives.

Orange Button’s output will be incorporated into the design and implementation of specific data tools aimed to facilitate the Orange Button objectives. To accomplish the team goals, SGIP and SEIA are forming five Strategy and Business Requirements Working Groups. The groups are:

• Deployment (including solar asset installers, engineering firms, permitting officials, etc.):
  Focused on the data needs associated with structural and electrical safety and other permitting concerns. This working group will include building code and safety standards experts, project developers, and other relevant stakeholders.
  
  
• Financial (including banking and specialty finance institutions, solar project developers, asset managers, etc.):
  Engaged in supporting efficient finance for projects, as well as efficient financial reporting practices during project operation. This working group will examine data practices for tax and accounting systems, streamlining information exchange between banks and developers to assess development risk, and the data exchange environment necessary to conduct effective financial asset management activities.
  
  
• Real Estate (including professionals experienced in identifying and transacting in real estate for solar projects):
  Focused on data requirements of the real estate industry (as they are relevant to solar projects) to deploy projects at various types of commercial real estate (e.g., owner-occupation of buildings, types of lease structures held by tenants).
  
  
• Solar O&M (including project developers, O&M service providers, etc.):
  Focused on all data requirements behind project operations and maintenance practices and cost models.
  
  
• Grid Integration (including electric utilities, project developers, ISOs, state regulatory bodies, etc.):
  Focused on the data needs for utilities, ISOs, and solar developers with regard to new utility-scale and behind-the-meter connections.

source:http://www.solarserver.com