TERMS OF REFERENCE

SOLAR POWER CONSULTANTS

Background
The World Bank Group (WBG) is seeing growing demand from public and private sector clients for
financing of utility-scale solar power investments, including stand-alone projects, large solar parks, and
rooftop solar, and encompassing a wide range of technologies. WBG assistance to clients including a
wide range of lending and investment instruments, access to concessional and/or grant financing (where
available), and technical assistance activities, including development of masterplans, ad-hoc policy and
regulatory advice, market promotion services, resource assessment, and grid integration studies.
WBG staff frequently rely on consultancy services provided by both firms and individuals in responding
to client demands. Individual consultants are often retained on a part-time basis to support specific
projects or activities, with a premium placed on individuals that can offer flexibility in terms of
availability and willingness to travel.
To help respond to the growing interest among clients in developing their solar power potential, the
WBG is seeking to establish a roster of individual consultants the match the needs of World Bank and IFC
energy sector teams working in this area. Solar power consultants are needed across a range of different
tasks and specialisms, and so these Terms of Reference are part of a targeted effort to solicit qualified
candidates for the roster. Candidates are required at a variety of different levels of experience and
expertise, from a minimum of five years, to senior consultants with at least 15 years of relevant
experience.

Skills and experience

Mandatory

A minimum of a Masters degree in a relevant field;

At least five years experience working in solar energy;

Strong communications skills, including proficiency in English;

Expertise in at least one of the areas listed below;

Desired

Previous experience working in developing countries and/or with the WBG;

Additional language skills.

Expertise
Consultants are sought with expertise in at least one of the following areas specifically related to solar
energy development (more general experience in these areas is valuable, but not in itself sufficient):

Resource assessment (including measurement campaigns)

Preparations of strategies and roadmaps to inform government policy

Pricing and regulatory issues (including FiTs and auctions)

Geospatial planning and/or strategic environmental assessment

Grid integration studies and grid connection issues

Pre-feasibility and feasibility studies

Project site selection

Site surveys, including for rooftop solar

Project financial/economic analysis

Project safeguards (e.g. environmental assessment)

Project due diligence

Understanding and experience with PV technology and inverters

Terms
Consultants shall be awarded with Short Term Consultant (STC) contracts by the contracting team/unit,
at a rate determined according to the level of experience and the specific assignment. Contracts are for
a set number of days over a defined period, under which STCs submit payment claims according to the
actual number of hours/days worked. Contracts can be modified at any point during the contract period
(extended, curtailed or canceled), and it is possible for multiple teams/units to have separate contracts
in place with the same individual up to the cap of 150 days per financial year (July 1 to June 30).
The tables below give an indication of the STC rates that apply for consultants that are mapped to the
WBG HQ in Washington DC different rates may apply for country office appointments. Net rates apply
to STCs from/residing in countries that permit employees of UN-affiliated organizations to receive
income free of tax. Gross rates apply to STCs who are required to pay tax on their earnings, which
includes citizens of the US and certain other countries (in some countries, this only applies if the
individual is residing in their country of citizenship). Most appointments for solar energy consultants are
likely to be in the B category, with the grade dependent on experience (see table). Rates are generally
set at or below the midpoint, with additional approvals required for rates above the midpoint that can
be hard to obtain.

Application process
Interested consultants should apply to be considered for inclusion on the roster of experts by submitting
their CV along with a short covering letter via the WBGs eConsult2 platform:
https://wbgeconsult2.worldbank.org/wbgec/index.html. The Selection is #1224254. Applicants are
requested to include with their letter, or as a separate attachment, a table (inserted at the end of these
TOR) that indicates their areas of expertise and corresponding level of experience. A Microsoft Word
version of the table can be downloaded from within the eConsult2 selection, under the General Forum
tab.
Consultants are requested to refrain from directly emailing WBG staff regarding this selection. Questions
can be asked via eConsult, and all the submissions will be reviewed by at least three members of staff.
Please note that there is no guarantee of employment through this process, including for those
consultants that are included on the WBG roster of solar power experts. Assignments will depend on the
needs of teams, budgetary availability, and a range of other considerations.

Area of expertise

Level of experience
Self-assessed from 1-3,
where 1 = elementary
knowledge/experience, 2 =
good level of
knowledge/experience, and 3 =
leading expert in this area

Resource assessment
(including measurement
campaigns)
Preparations of strategies
and roadmaps to inform
government policy
Pricing and regulatory issues
(including FiTs and auctions)
Geospatial planning and/or
strategic environmental
assessment
Grid integration studies
Pre-feasibility and feasibility
studies
Project site selection
Site surveys, including for
rooftop solar
Project financial/economic
analysis
Project safeguards (e.g.
environmental assessment)
Project due diligence
Understanding and
experience with PV
technology and inverters
Other areas of expertise:

Notes