Ynni Cymru – Health check for renewable generators in Wales

Overview of Offer

Ynni Cymru is a Welsh Government programme, delivered with support from Local Partnerships.

Does your organisation own and operate renewable energy generating assets in Wales?  Are you a small business, community organisation, charity, or part of the public sector?  Our health check service could be available to you. 

Ynni Cymru’s health check service, funded by Welsh Government, aims to ensure that participating renewable energy generators are operating efficiently and effectively, with the vision of enabling further optimisation through the identification of ‘smartening’ opportunities. 

Our service focuses on three key areas which are designed to provide multi-functional support to renewable energy generators. These are:

1. Asset performance (focusing on generating performance and the exploration of operational issues). 

2. Commercial performance (focusing on key commercial contracts and business models, including routes to market, PPAs and O&M contracting). 

3. Smartening opportunities (an assessment of your asset to consider how smart technologies could be incorporated to improve its overall performance).

Overview of Process

Ynni Cymru’s health check service process is described in the image below.  The first step involves initial discussions being held so that the Ynni Cymru team can scope and personalise the service to your organisation and better understand your asset.   

Following this, Ynni Cymru will send you a request for further information.  As a part of this request, you will be expected to complete and return Ynni Cymru’s asset engagement form (see attachment below), which collects key information relating to your site and generating assets.  Further information may also be requested, such as copies of key contracts (ie. PPAs, O&M contracts, asset management contracts), site plans, half hourly generation data, and M&V reporting.   

Upon receipt of the requested information, the Ynni Cymru team will review what has been provided.  We may contact you to arrange further meetings or send you clarifying questions, and in some cases, a site visit may be arranged. 

The findings of the health check will be drafted in our standard output proforma (see attachment below), which will contain details of your asset, key points and observations, options for smartening and further development, and a series of suggested next steps.  The next steps will outline any support that Ynni Cymru is able to provide your organisation, and steps you can take to address any identified issues. 

Following the acceptance of the output proforma, you will agree a package of support with Ynni Cymru, and this support will be scheduled to take place as required.

Download the YC Asset Engagement Form

Download the Health Check Observation Proforma

Eligibility Criteria

The health check service is available to organisations meeting the following criteria:

• Your organisation is based in Wales. 
• Your organisation belongs to one of the following sectors: 
  • Community or charity sector; 
  • Public sector; 
  • Meets the EU definition of a Small-Medium-Enterprise (SME). 
• You are an established electricity generator (with an active grid connection and have been generating for a minimum of 12 months). 
• Your generating asset is any of the following technology types and meets the minimum generating capacity threshold: 
  • Ground mounted solar: >250kW; 
  • Onshore wind: >250kW; 
  • Run-of-the-river hydro: >50kW.
  • Battery energy storage systems (BESS): >50kWh

Expectations of participating generators

Ynni Cymru’s health check service is a fully funded service for eligible electricity generators.  We expect participating organisations to be actively engaged in the process.  Below is a list of things we require from participating generators:

• Provide clarity on scope and desired outcomes from participating in the service. 

• Complete and return Ynni Cymru’s engagement form. 

• Provide necessary documents for review (e.g. O&M contracts, M&V reports, half-hourly generation data, PPAs, etc). 

• Be actively engaged in the process and respond to requests within reasonable timeframes.

Service Limitations and Disclaimer 

Please note that neither Local Partnerships or Ynni Cymru can provide financial or legal advice to your organisation.  The focus of the health check service is on exploring optimisation and smartening opportunities for your existing generating asset.  Neither Local Partnerships or Ynni Cymru have the ability to visit your asset to fix technical issues. 

In performing the health check, Local Partnerships and Ynni Cymru does not assume any responsibility for the participating organisation’s decision to pursue (or not to pursue) any particular strategy or course of action. Without limiting the foregoing, Local Partnerships and Ynni Cymru shall have no liability or responsibility to the extent that any information supplied to it or representations made to it, or on the basis of which this report has been prepared, is inaccurate, incomplete or misleading. 

Please also note that there is limited availability for the Ynni Cymru team to undertake health checks, and you may need to join a waiting list depending on how much interest the service receives. 

Read about Ynni Cymru on the Welsh Government website.