With an installed capacity greater than137 gigawatts (GWs) worldwide and annual additions of about40 GWs in recent years, solar photovoltaic (PV) technologyhas become an increasingly important energy supply option. Asubstantial decline in the cost of solar PV power plants (80percent reduction since 2008) has improved solar PV’scompetitiveness, reducing the needs for subsidies andenabling solar to compete with other power generationoptions in some markets. The World Bank Group (including theInternational Bank for Reconstruction and Development, theInternational Development Association, International FinanceCorporation (IFC), and the Multilateral Investment GuaranteeAgency) helps client countries secure the affordable,reliable, and sustainable energy supply needed to endextreme poverty and promote shared prosperity. The approachmirrors the objectives of the sustainable energy for allinitiative - achieving universal access, acceleratingimprovements in energy efficiency, and doubling the globalshare of renewable energy by 2030. The World Bank Grouprecognizes that each country determines its own path forachieving its energy aspirations, and that each country’stransition to a sustainable energy sector involves a uniquemix of resource opportunities and challenges, prompting adifferent emphasis on access, efficiency, and renewableenergy. The objective of this guidebook is to enhance thereader’s understanding of how to successfully develop,finance, construct, and operate utility-scale solar PV powerplants. The guidebook focuses on aspects of projectdevelopment that are specific to solar. From thisperspective it covers all aspects of the overall projectdevelopment process including site identification, plantdesign, energy yield, permits and licenses, contractualarrangements, and financing, giving sparser coverage togeneral project development basics that are not specific tosolar. This guide covers the key building blocks todeveloping a successful utility-scale solar power project(the threshold for utility-scale depends on the market, butgenerally at least 5 megawatt (MW).