Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development Training Course

Duration 10 days 20 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Energy Policy Officer, Project Development Manager 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-044

Before you join: Participants should have basic familiarity with energy supply, electricity use, infrastructure projects or sustainability programmes.

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

Governments, utilities, development institutions and major energy users must convert climate commitments into energy projects that improve reliability, affordability and emissions performance. The challenge is not selecting a fashionable technology; it is matching resource conditions, demand profiles, grid constraints, policy rules, financing terms and community expectations. Poor assumptions at feasibility stage can produce stranded assets, weak project economics, delayed approvals and public opposition.

This course examines renewable energy solutions as part of an energy transition programme. Participants assess solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, bioenergy and renewable heat options; interpret energy demand and resource data; compare generation costs; and develop projects from initial screening through procurement, financing, environmental assessment and operational planning. The course also addresses grid integration, storage, mini-grids, productive use, energy access and the role of renewable energy in national sustainable development plans.

Participants work with sector cases drawn from public infrastructure, commercial facilities, industrial sites, rural electrification and utility-scale generation. Short technical briefings are followed by structured case analysis, group planning and review of practical decision documents. Each participant develops a renewable energy project concept note and supporting assessment pack, including demand analysis, technology selection, preliminary financial model, emissions assessment, risk register and implementation roadmap.

The course suits professionals who contribute to energy policy, project development, infrastructure investment, sustainability planning, procurement or facilities management. It is particularly relevant where participants must evaluate proposals from developers, advise decision-makers, prepare investment cases or manage renewable energy projects after approval.

What you will be able to do

  • Assess energy demand, resource availability and renewable technology suitability for defined project sites
  • Compare renewable generation options using LCOE, capacity factor and lifecycle cost analysis
  • Prepare preliminary solar, wind, bioenergy or mini-grid project concept notes
  • Build an energy project financial model using CAPEX, OPEX, tariffs and discount rates
  • Apply GHG Protocol methods to estimate avoided emissions and project emissions
  • Evaluate grid integration, storage and power-quality requirements for renewable projects
  • Develop procurement, risk management and stakeholder engagement plans for energy projects
  • Present an investment-ready renewable energy project assessment and implementation roadmap

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Produce credible renewable energy project concept notes for management review
  • Challenge developer assumptions on resource yield, cost and generation forecasts
  • Translate sustainability targets into measurable energy investment proposals
  • Strengthen project appraisal capability for utility, industrial and public-sector roles
  • Build a portfolio-ready renewable energy assessment and implementation roadmap

For your organisation

  • Improves screening of renewable energy proposals before feasibility spending
  • Reduces technology selection errors caused by weak demand and resource assumptions
  • Produces clearer investment cases for energy efficiency, generation and storage projects
  • Strengthens procurement specifications, bid evaluation and contractor accountability
  • Links renewable energy investments to emissions targets, service reliability and development outcomes

Course modules

20 modules over 10 days

Participants can relate renewable energy investments to energy security, development priorities and emissions reduction targets.

  • Energy service demand, final energy, primary energy, and conversion losses
  • National energy balances using IEA flow conventions and sector boundaries
  • Sustainable Development Goal 7 targets and energy access indicators
  • Energy trilemma trade-offs between affordability, reliability, security, and emissions
  • Paris Agreement nationally determined contributions and energy sector implications
  • Project boundaries linking generation assets, users, grids, and fuel supply

Participants can select appropriate renewable technology options for different energy service requirements.

  • Solar photovoltaic systems for grid-connected, rooftop, and off-grid applications
  • Concentrated solar power characteristics, thermal storage, and dispatchable generation
  • Onshore wind resource conditions, turbine selection, and wake losses
  • Small hydropower site requirements, seasonal flows, and civil works
  • Geothermal resource types, drilling risks, and electricity conversion systems
  • Bioenergy feedstocks, anaerobic digestion, combustion, and sustainability safeguards

Participants can create a demand baseline and load profile for a renewable energy project.

  • Electricity bills, meter data, and interval readings for baseline development
  • Load duration curves identifying baseload, peak demand, and seasonal variation
  • End-use energy audits for motors, cooling, lighting, and process heat
  • Demand growth assumptions using production plans, occupancy, and connection forecasts
  • Energy efficiency measures assessed before renewable generation sizing decisions
  • Critical load classification for hospitals, water systems, and industrial facilities

Participants can assess resource data quality and prepare preliminary renewable energy yield estimates.

  • Solar irradiation datasets, plane-of-array conversion, and shading assessment
  • Wind speed distributions using Weibull parameters and hub-height extrapolation
  • Hydrological records, flow duration curves, and dependable energy estimates
  • Biomass feedstock mapping by quantity, moisture content, and competing uses
  • Meteorological data validation using long-term reference datasets and uncertainty ranges
  • Energy yield assumptions documented through P50, P75, and P90 estimates

Participants can prepare a structured technology screening for a defined energy need.

  • Multi-criteria analysis weighting cost, reliability, emissions, land, and local capability
  • Technology screening matrix matching resource quality with demand characteristics
  • Site constraints covering access roads, topography, drainage, and land tenure
  • Preliminary system sizing from load profiles and expected energy yield
  • Hybrid system configurations combining renewables, storage, grid supply, and generators
  • Project concept notes stating objectives, scope, assumptions, and decision gates

Participants can specify the main technical components and design assumptions for a solar PV project.

  • PV module technologies, degradation rates, temperature coefficients, and warranties
  • Inverter selection based on capacity, voltage, grid code, and redundancy
  • Array orientation, tilt angle, row spacing, and shading losses
  • Balance-of-system components including mounting, cabling, protection, and monitoring
  • Performance ratio calculation using irradiation, losses, availability, and generation
  • Rooftop structural assessment, fire safety, and electrical isolation requirements

Participants can identify technical design issues specific to non-solar renewable projects.

  • Wind turbine power curves, cut-in speeds, and annual energy production
  • Micrositing decisions using terrain, roughness, setbacks, and wake modelling
  • Hydropower intake, penstock, turbine, and tailrace design considerations
  • Biogas plant sizing from feedstock volumes, retention time, and methane yield
  • Biomass supply contracts addressing seasonality, transport, storage, and quality
  • Geothermal drilling programmes, reservoir management, and reinjection requirements

Participants can assess connection, storage and control requirements for renewable energy systems.

  • Grid hosting capacity, voltage limits, fault levels, and protection coordination
  • Interconnection studies covering load flow, short circuit, and contingency analysis
  • Battery energy storage sizing for peak shaving, backup, and renewable shifting
  • State-of-charge operating limits, cycle life, degradation, and replacement planning
  • Mini-grid architecture using generation, distribution, metering, and tariff systems
  • Power quality management for frequency, voltage, harmonics, and flicker

Participants can compare renewable energy options using consistent cost and performance assumptions.

  • CAPEX breakdown covering equipment, civil works, development, and connection costs
  • OPEX assumptions for maintenance, insurance, land leases, and asset management
  • Levelised cost of electricity calculation using discounted lifetime cash flows
  • Capacity factor, availability, curtailment, and degradation in generation forecasts
  • Marginal cost comparison against diesel generation, grid tariffs, and fuel escalation
  • Sensitivity analysis for exchange rates, inflation, resource yield, and delays

Participants can prepare and interpret a preliminary renewable energy investment case.

  • Discounted cash flow models using NPV, IRR, payback, and debt service
  • Revenue structures under feed-in tariffs, net metering, auctions, and PPAs
  • Debt, equity, grants, guarantees, and concessional finance funding structures
  • Bankability requirements covering contracts, permits, resource data, and creditworthiness
  • Financial model assumptions register with source references and ownership
  • Investment committee papers presenting returns, risks, scenarios, and recommendations

Participants can analyse how policy and regulation affect renewable energy project viability.

  • Renewable portfolio standards, auctions, quotas, and feed-in tariff mechanisms
  • Electricity market structures involving utilities, independent producers, and traders
  • Licensing pathways for generation, distribution, self-generation, and mini-grids
  • Grid codes specifying connection performance, dispatch, protection, and metering
  • Tax incentives, import duties, subsidies, and foreign exchange provisions
  • Policy risk assessment using regulatory triggers, scenarios, and mitigation actions

Participants can identify environmental and social risks and define proportionate management measures.

  • Environmental and social impact assessment scoping for renewable energy projects
  • IFC Performance Standards applied to land, biodiversity, labour, and communities
  • Biodiversity screening for bird migration, habitat loss, and aquatic ecosystems
  • Land acquisition planning, involuntary resettlement risks, and livelihood restoration
  • Community consultation plans with grievance mechanisms and disclosure records
  • Environmental management plans defining controls, monitoring, responsibilities, and budgets

Participants can quantify emissions effects and define sustainable development indicators for projects.

  • GHG Protocol project accounting boundaries, baselines, and emission sources
  • Avoided emissions calculation using grid emission factors and generation forecasts
  • Lifecycle emissions comparison for solar, wind, bioenergy, and diesel systems
  • Additionality assessment for carbon finance and voluntary carbon market claims
  • Sustainable development indicators covering jobs, health, access, and resilience
  • Monitoring plans linking project outputs, outcomes, indicators, and data sources

Participants can structure procurement documents and key commercial terms for renewable energy projects.

  • Procurement strategies for EPC, EPCM, build-own-operate, and energy service contracts
  • Technical specifications defining performance guarantees, testing, and acceptance criteria
  • Bid evaluation matrices combining technical compliance, price, capability, and risk
  • Power purchase agreement terms covering tariffs, dispatch, payment, and curtailment
  • EPC contract provisions for liquidated damages, warranties, and change control
  • Owner's engineer roles during design review, construction supervision, and commissioning

Participants can plan project delivery controls from construction through asset operation.

  • Construction schedules using critical path method, milestones, and interface management
  • Quality assurance plans for equipment inspection, installation, testing, and handover
  • Health and safety controls for electrical works, lifting, excavation, and working heights
  • Commissioning protocols covering functional tests, performance tests, and documentation
  • Operations and maintenance strategies using preventive, corrective, and condition-based maintenance
  • Asset performance dashboards tracking availability, generation, alarms, and downtime

Participants can develop a project risk register, governance structure and decision process.

  • Risk registers using probability, impact, ownership, treatment, and residual risk
  • Technical risks from resource uncertainty, equipment failure, and grid constraints
  • Commercial risks involving currency exposure, off-taker credit, and payment delay
  • Political and regulatory risks assessed through stakeholder mapping and scenario planning
  • Project governance roles for sponsors, lenders, engineers, contractors, and operators
  • Stage-gate decisions linking feasibility evidence to approval and funding releases

Participants can design renewable energy interventions that support productive use and service resilience.

  • Productive use loads for irrigation, cold chains, milling, and small industry
  • Solar water pumping design using hydraulic head, flow demand, and storage
  • Renewable energy for health facilities, vaccine refrigeration, and emergency power
  • Resilient energy systems for water utilities, telecommunications, and disaster response
  • Gender and inclusion considerations in energy access project design
  • Local workforce development plans for installation, maintenance, and enterprise support

Participants can establish performance reporting and corrective action processes for renewable energy projects.

  • Key performance indicators for energy yield, availability, costs, and emissions
  • Baseline and target setting for energy access and service reliability
  • Data collection protocols covering meters, inspections, invoices, and beneficiary records
  • Variance analysis comparing actual generation, costs, and schedules with plans
  • Corrective action logs assigning root causes, owners, deadlines, and verification
  • Management reports using dashboards, narrative analysis, and investment recommendations

Participants can integrate technical, financial, environmental and delivery analyses into a coherent project plan.

  • Project workplan integrating demand analysis, resource data, and technology selection
  • Assumption testing against cost, yield, tariff, and financing scenarios
  • Cross-functional review of engineering, finance, safeguards, and procurement decisions
  • Decision criteria for proceeding, redesigning, deferring, or rejecting projects
  • Executive communication methods for technical evidence, risks, and investment choices
  • Implementation roadmaps sequencing approvals, procurement, construction, and operations

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

  • Define project objectives, beneficiaries, energy services, and development outcomes
  • Prepare demand baseline, load profile, and renewable resource assumptions
  • Select technology configuration using multi-criteria analysis and site constraints
  • Build preliminary LCOE, cash flow, emissions, and sensitivity calculations
  • Compile safeguards, procurement, risk, governance, and implementation requirements
  • Present investment proposal with recommendations, decision gates, and supporting evidence

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

What you take back to work

  1. Renewable energy project concept note template
  2. Energy demand and load profile model
  3. Technology screening and site assessment matrix
  4. LCOE and preliminary investment appraisal model
  5. Renewable energy project risk register
  6. Project implementation roadmap and investment proposal

Who should attend

  • Energy Policy Officer — translates renewable energy targets into implementable programmes
  • Project Development Manager — screens, structures and advances renewable energy investments
  • Sustainability Manager — prepares decarbonisation projects for facilities and operations
  • Infrastructure Investment Analyst — tests project economics, risks and financing assumptions
  • Utility Planning Engineer — assesses renewable generation, storage and grid connection requirements
  • Procurement Manager — prepares technology, contractor and power purchase procurement strategies

Skills and tools covered

Renewable resource assessmentEnergy project appraisalLCOE modellingGrid integration planningClimate emissions accountingEnergy project procurement

Tools and standards

GHG Protocol for Project Accounting, IFC Performance Standards, Levelised Cost of Electricity, Critical Path Method

How the course runs

Training methodology

Instruction combines short technical briefings with worked calculations, sector cases and facilitated group analysis. Participants examine utility-scale, commercial and rural energy access cases, interpret demand and resource data, and test project choices against cost, grid, environmental and stakeholder constraints. Simulations cover technology selection, developer proposal review and investment committee decisions. Individual application planning connects each method to a live or anticipated workplace project. Trainers provide structured feedback on assumptions, calculations, project logic and presentation materials.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have basic familiarity with energy supply, electricity use, infrastructure projects or sustainability programmes. Experience reading budgets, spreadsheets or technical proposals is useful because the course includes cost estimates, tariff assumptions and project appraisal. Participants should be comfortable discussing their organisation's energy needs or a public energy challenge. Engineering qualifications are not required, and the course does not assume prior experience designing solar arrays, wind farms or power systems. Advanced financial modelling, coding and specialist environmental assessment experience are also not required.

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, infrastructure, sustainability or project work. Engineering qualifications and advanced financial modelling experience are not required, but comfort with spreadsheets and budgets is useful.

Bring a laptop with spreadsheet software and, where possible, anonymised energy bills, load data or a current project idea. Course materials and case data are supplied by the trainer.

It suits professionals responsible for energy policy, project development, infrastructure investment, sustainability, facilities, procurement or utility planning. It also suits managers reviewing renewable energy proposals from consultants or developers.

This course addresses the full project decision process, including demand, resource, economics, grid connection, safeguards, procurement and governance. It does not train participants to produce detailed engineering drawings or undertake specialist power system studies.

Participants can use the project concept note, screening matrix, financial model and risk register to assess a planned investment or challenge an external proposal. The methods apply to public facilities, commercial sites, industry, utilities and energy access programmes.

The course runs from 08:30 to 16:30 each day, providing about 6.5 contact hours daily. Early modules build demand, resource and technology assessments; later modules address finance, safeguards, procurement and delivery before the final capstone presentation.

Questions about this course?

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