Renewable Energy and Energy Transition Training Course

Duration 10 days 20 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Energy Managers, Sustainability Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-ETR-025

Before you join: Participants should have basic familiarity with organisational energy use, utility bills, project budgeting or sustainability reporting.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Energy transition programmes require decisions that connect resource quality, technology choice, grid constraints, project economics, emissions targets and stakeholder commitments. Renewable energy sources can reduce fuel exposure and emissions, but poor assumptions about intermittency, land, permitting, transmission, contracts or end-of-life obligations can weaken a business case. Professionals need to assess impacts beyond generation capacity: system reliability, affordability, environmental effects, jobs, supply chains and community acceptance all affect whether projects proceed and deliver planned value.

This course examines renewable energy technologies and their role in national, corporate and utility transition plans. Participants compare solar, wind, hydropower, bioenergy, geothermal and emerging clean-energy options; assess generation profiles and resource data; calculate levelised cost of energy; and evaluate grid integration requirements. They apply emissions accounting, life-cycle assessment, project finance, power purchase agreement structures, environmental and social impact assessment, and energy-policy analysis. The course also addresses storage, demand response, hydrogen, electrification, transmission planning and just-transition considerations.

Teaching combines concise technical briefings with sector cases from utilities, industrial sites, public infrastructure, banks and corporate energy buyers. Participants use structured worksheets, financial models, emissions calculations, procurement scenarios and project-review discussions to build a renewable energy transition case throughout the course. They leave with a completed energy transition investment proposal, supported by a technology-screening matrix, generation and emissions assumptions, financial appraisal, risk register and implementation roadmap.

The course suits professionals who influence energy, sustainability, infrastructure, finance, procurement or policy decisions and need a practical basis for evaluating renewable energy projects and transition portfolios.

What you will be able to do

  • Assess renewable energy resources using generation profiles, capacity factors and site-screening criteria
  • Compare solar, wind, hydro, bioenergy and geothermal technologies against defined project requirements
  • Calculate levelised cost of energy using capital, operating, financing and generation assumptions
  • Develop a corporate or public-sector energy transition pathway using demand, emissions and technology data
  • Evaluate grid integration needs using load profiles, dispatchability, storage and transmission constraints
  • Prepare renewable project financial appraisals using discounted cash flow, sensitivity and scenario analysis
  • Apply GHG Protocol and ISO 14040/44 methods to renewable energy emissions and life-cycle claims
  • Present a complete renewable energy investment proposal with risks, delivery plan and decision rationale

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Build credible renewable energy investment cases for internal approval committees
  • Interpret developer proposals, generation estimates and project financial assumptions
  • Connect emissions targets with practical electricity procurement and project choices
  • Contribute informed questions during grid, storage and power purchase negotiations
  • Produce a portfolio-ready energy transition proposal for a real workplace context

For your organisation

  • Improve renewable project selection through consistent technical and financial screening
  • Reduce exposure to poorly structured energy contracts and unrealistic generation claims
  • Strengthen decarbonisation plans with quantified electricity, emissions and cost assumptions
  • Improve coordination among sustainability, finance, operations, procurement and infrastructure teams
  • Create decision-ready transition proposals for capital planning and executive review

Course modules

20 modules over 10 days

Participants can frame renewable energy decisions against energy security, cost, emissions and policy objectives.

  • Energy transition drivers: affordability, security, emissions reduction and industrial competitiveness
  • Primary energy, final energy and electricity demand distinguished for planning
  • Decarbonisation pathways compared using electrification, efficiency, fuel switching and renewables
  • National targets translated into corporate, utility and public-sector decision requirements
  • Energy trilemma assessed through reliability, affordability and environmental performance criteria
  • Baseline energy data organised by fuel, facility, process and demand period

Participants can compare renewable technologies against resource, operational and commercial requirements.

  • Solar photovoltaic configurations compared: rooftop, ground-mounted, floating and agrivoltaic systems
  • Wind turbine selection linked to wind regime, hub height and setbacks
  • Hydropower options assessed: run-of-river, reservoir, pumped storage and micro-hydro
  • Bioenergy feedstocks screened for availability, competing uses, moisture and transport
  • Geothermal generation matched to resource temperature, drilling depth and reservoir conditions
  • Technology readiness levels used to distinguish proven and emerging options

Participants can interpret resource data and develop defensible annual energy yield assumptions.

  • Solar irradiation data interpreted using global horizontal and plane-of-array measures
  • Wind resource assessment uses speed distributions, direction roses and turbulence intensity
  • Capacity factor calculated from annual generation and installed nameplate capacity
  • Production losses quantified for shading, soiling, wake effects, curtailment and downtime
  • P50 and P90 energy estimates distinguished for lender and investor decisions
  • Seasonal generation profiles compared against facility demand and tariff periods

Participants can identify the grid conditions that determine renewable project feasibility.

  • Load curves analysed by baseload, peak demand and daily variation
  • Variable renewable generation matched against system demand and dispatch requirements
  • Grid connection studies identify voltage, fault level and thermal constraints
  • Curtailment risk assessed from congestion, oversupply and network operating limits
  • Ancillary services explained: frequency response, reserves, voltage control and inertia
  • Transmission expansion requirements linked to renewable resource zones and demand centres

Participants can assess storage and flexibility options for renewable energy integration.

  • Battery storage sized using power rating, energy capacity and duration
  • Round-trip efficiency, degradation and cycling limits included in storage economics
  • Pumped hydro compared with batteries for duration, geography and capital intensity
  • Demand response opportunities identified from controllable loads and operational schedules
  • Thermal storage assessed for buildings, district energy and industrial heat applications
  • Dispatch strategies tested against tariff periods, generation forecasts and reliability needs

Participants can build demand-side assumptions for an integrated transition plan.

  • Energy balance constructed from electricity, fuels, heat and process consumption
  • Efficiency measures prioritised using avoided energy, cost and implementation complexity
  • Electrification options assessed for vehicles, heating, cooling and industrial processes
  • Heat pumps evaluated using coefficient of performance and temperature requirements
  • Load growth forecast from production plans, electrification and operational changes
  • Demand reduction sequenced before renewable capacity and procurement decisions

Participants can map the development stages, approvals and dependencies of renewable projects.

  • Project lifecycle mapped from site origination through construction and operations
  • Site screening considers resource, land rights, access, grid proximity and constraints
  • Permitting registers identify planning, environmental, water, aviation and grid approvals
  • Land agreements compared: purchase, lease, easement and community benefit arrangements
  • Development schedules built using critical-path dependencies and approval lead times
  • Owner's engineer roles distinguished from developer, EPC contractor and operator

Participants can calculate and interpret renewable energy costs using standard project assumptions.

  • Levelised cost of energy calculated from lifetime costs and discounted generation
  • Capital expenditure separated into equipment, civil works, interconnection and development
  • Operating expenditure estimated for maintenance, insurance, land and asset management
  • Weighted average cost of capital linked to debt, equity and project risk
  • Inflation, escalation and foreign exchange assumptions documented within financial models
  • LCOE limitations recognised when comparing dispatchable and variable generation technologies

Participants can prepare a renewable project investment case using discounted cash flow methods.

  • Discounted cash flow model structures revenues, costs, taxes and financing
  • Net present value and internal rate of return calculated
  • Debt service coverage ratio assessed against forecast project cash flows
  • Sensitivity analysis tests tariffs, capital cost, generation and financing assumptions
  • Scenario analysis compares base case, downside case and upside case
  • Investment committee papers state decision criteria, assumptions and approval conditions

Participants can select revenue structures suited to renewable project and buyer requirements.

  • Wholesale market pricing explained through merit order and marginal generation
  • Feed-in tariffs, contracts for difference and auctions compared
  • Merchant revenue risk assessed using price volatility and capture price
  • Renewable energy certificates traced through issuance, ownership and retirement rules
  • Corporate procurement models compared: onsite generation, PPA and utility green tariffs
  • Additionality claims tested against project timing, ownership and contractual evidence

Participants can assess power purchase agreement terms and procurement choices.

  • Physical and virtual PPAs distinguished by delivery and settlement arrangements
  • Contracted volume structures compared: pay-as-produced, baseload and shaped supply
  • Price clauses reviewed for fixed rates, indexation, floors and caps
  • Settlement risk analysed through basis risk, imbalance charges and curtailment
  • Credit support requirements assessed through guarantees, collateral and termination rights
  • Procurement evaluation matrices score price, emissions claims, risk and flexibility

Participants can account for renewable electricity and assess the credibility of emissions claims.

  • GHG Protocol Scope 2 location-based and market-based methods compared
  • Emission factors selected using grid data, supplier evidence and reporting boundaries
  • Renewable energy certificate quality assessed through vintage, geography and exclusivity
  • Avoided emissions claims separated from inventory reporting requirements
  • Residual mix factors applied where contractual instruments are unavailable
  • Scope 3 electricity-related impacts identified within relevant value-chain categories

Participants can evaluate environmental impacts across renewable energy project life cycles.

  • ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 life-cycle assessment stages applied
  • Functional units defined for electricity generation and technology comparison
  • Life-cycle inventory includes materials, transport, construction, operation and decommissioning
  • Impact categories compare climate, water, land, biodiversity and resource depletion
  • Environmental and social impact assessment follows screening, scoping and mitigation steps
  • Biodiversity mitigation hierarchy applies avoidance, minimisation, restoration and offsetting

Participants can identify social risks and develop responsible stakeholder measures for transition projects.

  • Stakeholder mapping identifies affected communities, rights holders and decision-makers
  • Free, prior and informed consent principles considered for Indigenous Peoples
  • Land acquisition risks assessed through tenure, livelihoods and displacement impacts
  • Community benefit agreements define local priorities, governance and benefit allocation
  • Just transition analysis considers jobs, skills, affordability and regional development
  • Grievance mechanisms designed for accessible reporting, response and remedy

Participants can assess supply-chain risks and end-of-life requirements for renewable assets.

  • Critical minerals linked to solar, wind, batteries and grid equipment
  • Supplier due diligence reviews traceability, labour conditions and environmental controls
  • Procurement specifications include warranties, performance guarantees and spare-parts obligations
  • Solar panel end-of-life pathways assess reuse, recycling and disposal requirements
  • Battery passport concepts connect material provenance, performance and recycling information
  • Circular procurement criteria address repairability, recovery and decommissioning liabilities

Participants can assess renewable molecules and heat solutions for difficult-to-electrify demand.

  • Green hydrogen production modelled from electrolyser load and renewable electricity
  • Hydrogen value chains assessed across production, storage, transport and end-use
  • Biofuels compared using feedstock origin, lifecycle emissions and blending limits
  • Renewable heat options include biomass, solar thermal, geothermal and heat pumps
  • Industrial heat applications screened by temperature range and process reliability
  • Fuel-switching decisions test energy cost, emissions and infrastructure compatibility

Participants can assess how policy and regulation shape renewable energy project viability.

  • Renewable portfolio standards and clean electricity standards compared
  • Carbon pricing mechanisms assessed through taxes, trading systems and offsets
  • Auction design reviewed for qualification rules, pricing and delivery penalties
  • Grid codes examined for connection, forecasting and operational compliance
  • Permitting reform assessed through approval duration, coordination and legal certainty
  • Policy risk register captures regulatory change, enforcement and political exposure

Participants can construct a diversified renewable energy portfolio and manage its principal risks.

  • Portfolio diversification compares technologies, locations, counterparties and contract tenors
  • Risk register categorises development, construction, operational, market and regulatory threats
  • Probability-impact scoring prioritises risks requiring owners and treatment actions
  • Monte Carlo simulation introduces uncertainty ranges for generation and price assumptions
  • Insurance coverage reviewed for construction, property damage and business interruption
  • Transition roadmap sequences quick wins, enabling investments and long-term projects

Participants can establish delivery governance and performance controls for renewable energy programmes.

  • Programme governance defines sponsors, decision rights, reporting and escalation routes
  • Stage-gate reviews test feasibility, investment readiness, construction readiness and operations
  • Key performance indicators track generation, availability, cost, emissions and safety
  • Measurement and verification plans define meters, baselines and data quality checks
  • Asset performance management uses availability, performance ratio and outage analysis
  • Implementation dashboards align project milestones, budget, risks and benefits realisation

Participants can build, review and present a complete renewable energy transition investment proposal.

  • Energy baseline and demand forecast consolidated into a decision-ready case
  • Technology screening matrix ranks options against resource, cost, grid and emissions
  • Generation model combines capacity, capacity factor, losses and seasonal output
  • Financial appraisal presents LCOE, net present value and sensitivity results
  • Risk register integrates permitting, supply-chain, grid, contract and stakeholder risks
  • Implementation roadmap sets governance, milestones, procurement route and performance measures

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Renewable technology screening matrix
  2. Energy transition demand and emissions baseline
  3. Levelised cost of energy model
  4. Renewable project financial appraisal template
  5. Power purchase agreement evaluation checklist
  6. Renewable energy transition investment proposal

Who should attend

  • Energy Managers — assess renewable supply options and build credible transition plans
  • Sustainability Managers — connect decarbonisation targets with energy projects and emissions accounting
  • Infrastructure Project Managers — plan viable renewable projects from feasibility through commissioning
  • Financial Analysts — evaluate renewable project economics, contracts and investment risks
  • Procurement Managers — structure electricity purchasing and renewable energy sourcing decisions
  • Policy and Regulatory Officers — assess renewable policy instruments, market design and public outcomes

Skills and tools covered

Renewable technology assessmentEnergy transition planningProject financial modellingGrid integration analysisCarbon accountingEnergy procurement

Tools and standards

GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance, ISO 14040/14044 Life Cycle Assessment, Levelised Cost of Energy, Monte Carlo simulation

How the course runs

Training methodology

Instructor-led sessions combine short technical briefings with worked calculations, sector cases, group analysis and facilitated project reviews. Participants interpret resource data, compare technology options, build generation and cost assumptions, assess procurement structures and test project risks through realistic scenarios. Cases include corporate electricity buyers, public infrastructure owners, utilities and lenders. Structured application planning allows each participant to develop a renewable energy transition proposal relevant to their role, while peer review improves the clarity of investment logic and implementation priorities.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have basic familiarity with organisational energy use, utility bills, project budgeting or sustainability reporting. Experience in energy management, engineering, finance, procurement, environmental management, infrastructure or public policy is useful. Participants should be comfortable interpreting tables, percentages and basic financial assumptions. Prior renewable-energy engineering design, advanced electrical engineering, programming, specialist modelling software or carbon-accounting certification is not required. The course explains technical concepts sufficiently for non-engineers while expecting participants to engage with numerical project assumptions and structured decision tools.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants need basic familiarity with energy use, project budgets or sustainability reporting. Advanced engineering, specialist software and previous renewable project experience are not required.

Bring a laptop capable of running spreadsheet files and, where permitted, recent energy-use, tariff, emissions or project data. Participants can also work from the course cases if workplace information is confidential or unavailable.

It is designed for energy, sustainability, infrastructure, finance, procurement, operations and policy professionals. It is particularly useful for people reviewing renewable proposals or preparing transition investments.

The course addresses technology fundamentals but does not train participants to engineer detailed system designs. Its focus is investment decisions, energy procurement, grid implications, emissions, project development and implementation governance.

Participants build an investment proposal using their own organisational context or an equivalent case. The templates support project screening, procurement evaluation, financial appraisal, risk management and executive decision papers.

Training runs from 08:30 to 16:30 each day, with approximately 6.5 contact hours daily. The first part establishes core technical and commercial analysis, while later modules develop contracts, impacts, risks, governance and the final proposal.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.