Territorial Assessment
Before talking about panels, five questions must be answered: Is there sun? Is there grid capacity? Are there communities? Are there rooftops? Is there funding? The assessment closes with a documented Go/No-Go decision.
Critical warning from the Playbook (Ch. 5.2)
Grid connection capacity is the single most important constraining factor. Without available capacity on the grid to receive the generated energy, no technical design or financial structure will work. The first step of the assessment is to send a formal letter to the local grid operator (Air-e, Afinia, EPM, ESSA, Codensa, or other) requesting information about available capacity. Do not advance to subsequent phases without that response.
Irradiation by department
Colombia averages 4.5 kWh/m2/day. Germany -- the world leader in solar energy -- averages 2.8. Colombia receives between 60% and 100% more solar radiation than the country with the most energy cooperatives in the world.
Source: IDEAM Solar Radiation Atlas of Colombia; NASA POWER Database (Playbook, Ch. 5.1). Departments shown in gray have no documented irradiation value in this source -- the Playbook publishes values for 18 of the 32 departments, and no plausible value is interpolated for the others. Click a department to see its figure; use the free tool NASA POWER to look up any point in Colombia with GPS coordinates in 5 minutes.
Quick generation estimate (Ch. 5.4)
Annual generation (kWh) = Capacity (kWp) x Irradiation (kWh/m2/day) x 365 x 0.80
The 0.80 factor is the system yield: it accounts for losses due to temperature, wiring, and soiling. Playbook example for a Caribbean municipality: 200 kWp x 5.0 x 365 x 0.80 = 292,000 kWh/year. At a tariff of COP $900/kWh, that equals savings of COP $262,800,000/year.
Go/No-Go thresholds (Ch. 9.2): irradiation above 3.8 kWh/m2/day → proceed. Below 3.5 → pause and reassess.
How ready is your municipality?
Ten questions based on the Go/No-Go criteria (Ch. 9.2) and prioritization criteria (Ch. 6.1) of the Playbook. This does not replace the full assessment: it is a thermometer to know where to start.
The first asset sits atop buildings you already own
Each kWp of solar needs between 5 and 6 m2 of rooftop. A public building with 500 m2 of roof can accommodate 80 to 100 kWp of capacity -- today, an empty roof that requires no negotiation with any private party.
Public building inventory
Public rooftops are the first asset to evaluate: they are municipally owned, require no negotiation with private parties, and generate direct savings in the municipal budget.
Co-financing source explorer
The municipality does not need to finance 100% of the project. FENOGE, IPSE (the institute for energy solutions in non-interconnected zones), and international cooperation co-finance between 50% and 100%.
FENOGE -- Fund for Non-Conventional Energy and Energy Efficiency
Type: public co-financing (subsidy / grant).
Co-financing: 50-70% of CAPEX.
Main requirements: RUCE registration, constituted community, prioritized zone.
Current scale: FENOGE has prioritized up to 500 communities with a target capacity of ~29,672 kWp across 14 departments and more than 30 municipalities. It operates the ConEnergia and EN-Comunidad programs, and publishes 8 educational booklets (with IOM) on energy communities.
Contact: fenoge.gov.co
Political strategy (Ch. 10.4): request a virtual or in-person FENOGE presentation to the Municipal Council showcasing the available co-financing programs. It is one of the most effective arguments for approving the Resolution.
IPSE -- Institute for Planning and Promotion of Energy Solutions for Non-Interconnected Zones (ZNI)
Type: direct financing.
Co-financing: 80-100% for Non-Interconnected Zones.
Main requirements: that the municipality has ZNI zones and a structured project.
Through Tax-Credit Public Works (Obras por Impuestos), IPSE has channeled more than COP $166,000 million through 19 projects in renewable energy, benefiting 4,720 households. Private companies finance the project in PDET municipalities and deduct 100% from their income tax. This mechanism requires no resources from the municipal budget: the municipality only identifies the project.
Contact: ipse.gov.co
Playbook warning for the ZNI off-grid archetype (Ch. 8.4): the return exceeds 100% because of the magnitude of diesel savings, but the IRR without co-financing is negative. These projects are not viable without subsidy.
Bancoldex -- Sustainable Credit Line
Type: green credit.
Term: up to 120 months (10 years).
Main requirement: an SAS or a trust fund as the borrower. The energy community does not take on the debt directly.
Where it fits in the structure: in the Playbook's typical capital stack (Ch. 18.3), senior debt from Bancoldex or Findeter represents 20-30% of the project -- COP $216-324 million in a 200 kWp project. In the revenue distribution waterfall, servicing this debt is priority 2, right after the O&M reserve.
Contact: bancoldex.com
Findeter -- Infrastructure Credit
Type: infrastructure credit.
Term: up to 12 years.
Main requirements: structured project and collateral.
Findeter is also an accredited entity with the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which opens a pathway to international climate finance for programs at scale. It occupies the same position as Bancoldex in the capital stack (senior debt, 20-30%).
Contact: findeter.gov.co
When to negotiate programmatic credit lines: the Playbook recommends waiting until you have actual performance data from the first project (6-12 months of operation) before negotiating programmatic credit lines with Bancoldex or Findeter (Ch. 22.1).
International cooperation
Sources active in Colombia per the Playbook (Ch. 8.3 and 30.2):
| Entity | Program / type | Documented amount | Requirement / focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAF / GGGI | Sustainable Energy Communities | EUR 16.8M (2026-2030) | Coordination with FENOGE |
| Journey Fund | Blended finance | USD $100M for Colombia | Projects in Amazonia and ZNI |
| CIF via IDB | Multilateral | USD $70M + USD $280M additional | Grid modernization, rural electrification |
| IDB Lab / DGRV | LAC E-Coop Program | Not disclosed | Technical assistance + green credit; cooperative or associative structure |
| USAID | Renewable Energy for Peace | Not disclosed | Coordination with APC-Colombia |
| GIZ | Technical cooperation in energy transition | Not disclosed | Technical assistance |
| IOM | EN-Comunidad | Not disclosed | Educational booklets with FENOGE |
| UNDP | Panels in indigenous reserves | Not disclosed | Indigenous communities |
"Not disclosed" means the Playbook does not publish an amount for that source, not that none exists.
Other national sources (Ch. 8.3)
OCAD Paz / SGR (royalties, variable co-financing, requires PDET municipality and OCAD-approved project) -- Tax-Credit Public Works (Obras por Impuestos, 100% income tax deductible, PDET/ZOMAC municipalities) -- Colombia Solar (Decreto 0972 of 2025, subsidy replacement with panels for income tiers 1-3; CONPES 4158 of 2025 authorizes COP $8.35 trillion for 2026-2030 targeting 1.3 million households).
Assessment checklist -- 40 items
Each item must be completed and documented before moving to Phase 2. Your progress is saved in this browser.
A. Energy resource
B. Grid capacity
C. Communities
D. Infrastructure
E. Financial
F. Regulatory
G. Political and institutional
The Go/No-Go decision
The assessment must result in a clear, documented decision.
GO -- Proceed to the Formation Phase if:
- Grid capacity is available (or the municipality has ZNI zones where off-grid applies)
- Solar irradiation is above 3.8 kWh/m2/day
- At least 3 communities have expressed formal interest
- At least 3 public buildings have rooftops suitable for solar installation
- At least one viable co-financing source has been identified
NO-GO -- Pause and reassess if:
- No grid capacity is available AND there are no ZNI zones
- Solar irradiation is below 3.5 kWh/m2/day
- No community has expressed interest
- No co-financing source has been identified
Assessment is GO
Phase 2 starts with the Council Resolution: the legal instrument that survives a change in administration.