I have just started using SAM, and I am wondering if you know if anyone has used it as a basis on which to finance renewable energy investments.
SAM is intended as a pre-feasibility and screening tool. It is best suited for analysis during the early phases of the project development process, when you are considering different financial and technical options and before you have started making any investments. SAM's financial models are generalized and simple versions of the kinds of financial models project partners use at later stages to negotiate the terms of financial agreement. Those financial models tend to have more detail and to account for factors that are specific to the parties involved.
I am aware that SAM has been used as a negotiating tool, where different parties involved in a project have their own proprietary models and data that they do not share with each other, but agree to share the data needed to run SAM.
I also understand that SAM has been used after a project has been commissioned to help project partners understand how well the system is performing compared to the predictions used during the project development phase.
Does anyone else have any insight into this question?
Best regards,
Paul.
