Renewable Energy
Renewable energy (RE) consulting plays a crucial role in the global transition towards sustainable energy solutions. As governments and businesses race to reduce carbon emissions and meet climate goals, consulting firms help navigate the technical, regulatory and economic complexities of adopting RE technologies. Achieving 2030 climate goals will require major upgrades to buildings and industry, a shift to renewables, and regulatory reform. The International Energy Agency projects global renewable capacity will grow 2.7 times by 2030 (from 2022 levels), supported by policy progress in 140 countries – though China remains a primary contributor.
While a promising trend, rising energy demand and persistent barriers, such as high financing costs, weak grid infrastructure, policy uncertainty, and non-financial barriers like social acceptance, continue to limit faster adoption. In transition- and developing countries, development consulting is equally essential. These contexts often require tailored strategies that go beyond energy policy, addressing education, employment, infrastructure, and social inclusion. For example, empowering women in energy leadership or strengthening vocational education to meet sector needs. Firms like NIRAS support such transitions through systems thinking, local partnerships, and development expertise. Yet challenges remain across technologies:
Solar PV faces weather dependency, fluctuating energy production, high installation costs, land requirements, and expensive battery technologies.
Wind energy also faces inconsistent weather-dependent output, costly maintenance, and visual and environmental concerns.
Biogas requires reliable feedstocks, supportive legislation and significant upfront legislation.
To overcome these, innovation, investment, and coordinated stakeholder action are essential. Within the field of RE, NIRAS offers the following services:
- Capacity building in energy planning
- Technical and economic feasibility studies
- Environmental and social assessments
- RE financing
- Integration of RE towards decarbonisation of industry
- RE installation training (especially solar)
- Offshore wind project development
How NIRAS adds value
NIRAS supports governments, institutions, and businesses across all major RE technologies—including biogas, solar PV, wind, and hydropower. Through our #GREENsition initiative, we’ve integrated expertise from across departments – from Building to Process Industry, Infrastructure, Environment, Utilities and Development Consulting – to accelerate the energy transition. By mid-2024, we had launched 105 active green energy projects, marking a 50% increase in our portfolio.
Our technical assistance services typically cover the full project cycle, supporting public institutions, utilities, private sector actors, chambers of commerce and other sector stakeholders. In developing countries, capacity development is essential, while technical feasibility and economic viability are crucial for investment. All support is geared toward maximising impact in the green energy sector.
We have successfully implemented assignments to finance RE infrastructure and create enabling environments for uptake, with actor coordination and streamlined approaches key to success. NIRAS also supports businesses worldwide in selecting the right technologies and identifying the most energy efficient ways of production.
In biogas, we apply world-class expertise to assess production plants and conduct feasibility studies tailored to local resources. For solar PV, we evaluate financing options, conduct environmental and social assessments and support training for installation teams.
Wind energy - a special focus
NIRAS has extensive experience in implementing offshore wind projects across the world, including Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Japan, and Vietnam. Services include technical review, advisory services, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Environmental Social Impact Assessments (ESIA).
NIRAS has conducted surveys on permitting for offshore and onshore wind projects and scoped offshore wind surveys in new markets. While assisting Taiwan’s Development Bureau with offshore wind development, services included training, capability assessment, workshops, and project management.
In Europe and Asia, NIRAS supported offshore wind projects and provided engineering services to Japan’s first commercial-scale Offshore Wind Farm. The portfolio further offers consultancy and assessments for offshore wind projects, including over 3.5 GW in Vietnam.
