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Project Development

Project Developer

See what solar project developers do every day and how to build a career in development.

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About Project Developer

Developers carry a project from idea to notice to proceed. This course covers the core development workstreams, from land and communities to interconnection, permitting and budgets, and then looks at the role itself: how developers get paid, the skills that matter and how to land your first development job.

What You'll Learn

Work with land and communities

Approach landowners and communities and choose between greenfield and brownfield sites.

Manage interconnection and permits

See interconnection and entitlement through a developer's eyes.

De-risk the project

Defend the development budget and use stage gates to avoid the pitfalls that kill projects.

Plan your development career

Understand developer types, day-to-day work and the path from analyst to VP.

Explore the Course Topics

20 lessons, grouped by topic. Open a topic to see its lessons.

01Sites, land and communities3 lessons
  1. Greenfield vs Brownfield Development
  2. Site Origination and Land Acquisition
  3. Working with Landowners and Communities
02Interconnection and permitting2 lessons
  1. Managing Interconnection from a Developer’s Lens
  2. Permitting and Entitlement Workflow
03Budgets, milestones and getting paid3 lessons
  1. Building and Defending the Development Budget
  2. De-Risking Milestones and Stage Gates
  3. How Developers Get Paid (NTP, Success Fees, Carried Interest)
04Pitfalls and the skills that matter2 lessons
  1. Common Pitfalls That Kill Projects
  2. Skills That Set Great Developers Apart
05The developer's role and career path10 lessons
  1. Educational Backgrounds That Map to Development
  2. Adjacent Roles to Pivot From (Real Estate, Construction, Finance)
  3. What a Project Developer Does
  4. Certifications and Coursework That Help
  5. A Day in the Life of a Developer
  6. How to Land Your First Development Role
  7. Where Developers Sit in the Project Lifecycle
  8. Building a Project Portfolio Before You Have One
  9. Types of Developers (IPP, Independent, EPC-Owned)
  10. Career Progression: Analyst to VP of Development