Solar Legal 101 introduces the legal frameworks that govern a solar project, written for people who are not lawyers but who have to work with contracts every day — developers, project managers, originators and asset managers.
What you will learn
- What legal counsel does on a solar project, and when to bring them in.
- How risk is identified and allocated between parties.
- Site control and real estate fundamentals — leases, title, survey and encumbrances.
- The core project agreements: PPA, EPC, and O&M and asset management contracts.
- The contract terms that decide outcomes — indemnification, limitation of liability, default and cure rights, dispute resolution.
- How change is managed, and how assignments and change control work.
- How legal work coordinates with project finance, and what lender rights mean in practice.
- Conditions precedent and what has to be true to close.
- The legal red flags that show up repeatedly in solar deals.
Course outline — 26 lessons
- Role of Legal
- Types of Counsel
- Identifying and Allocating Risk
- Legal Due Diligence
- Site Control & Real Estate Fundamentals
- Lease Agreement Fundamentals
- Title, Survey & Encumbrances
- Permits, Interconnection & Regulatory Approvals
- Core Project Agreements
- PPA Agreement Legal Overview
- EPC Agreement Fundamentals
- O&M and Asset Management Agreements
- Key Contract Terms
- Understanding Indemnification
- Limitation of Liability
- Default & Cure Rights
- Dispute Resolution
- Managing Change
- Assignments and Change Control
- Coordinating with Project Finance
- Financing Documents & Lender Rights
- Due Diligence Checklist
- Conditions Precedent & Closing
- Legal Costs
- Working Effectively With Counsel
- Common Solar Legal Red Flags
Who this course is for
Non-lawyers who negotiate, administer or rely on solar contracts. Developers and originators handling site control. Project and asset managers working to contract terms they did not write. Attorneys new to the renewable energy sector.
What you need to know first
None. The course is explicitly written for a non-legal audience.
What comes next
Site Control goes deeper on leases, options and easements. Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) covers the revenue contract in detail.
The course is free. Create an account to start.