Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wind Farm Consultant

🎯 Role Definition

The Wind Farm Consultant is an experienced renewable energy professional who delivers end-to-end technical advisory and project delivery support for onshore and offshore wind projects. This role combines site feasibility analysis, energy yield assessment, grid and interconnection advisory, permitting and environmental liaison, technical due diligence, procurement support, construction oversight and operational optimization. The consultant works with developers, utilities, investors, EPC contractors and asset owners to reduce technical risk, optimize costs (CAPEX/OPEX) and maximize energy production and commercial performance.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Wind Resource Analyst
Site or Project Engineer (civil/electrical/mechanical)
Renewable Energy Analyst (EPC or developer)

Advancement To:

Senior Wind Farm Consultant / Technical Lead
Project Manager / Delivery Manager (Wind Projects)
Head of Technical Advisory / Technical Director

Lateral Moves:

Asset Manager (Wind Portfolio)
O&M / Operations Manager
Environmental & Permitting Consultant

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead and deliver comprehensive wind resource assessments and energy yield assessments (EYA) using industry-standard tools (WAsP, WindPro, OpenWind, Meteodyn, custom Python/MATLAB workflows) to produce bankable production estimates, uncertainty analysis and P50/P90 reports for developer and lender due diligence.
Conduct site feasibility studies including terrain analysis, micrositing and turbine layout optimization that minimize wake losses, assess soil/ground conditions, access and constructability to inform CAPEX and LCOE optimization.
Manage and design met mast and remote sensing measurement campaigns (met masts, LiDAR, sodar) from planning through data QA/QC, bias correction, time-series processing and extrapolation to hub-height for long-term energy assessment.
Perform technical due diligence for acquisitions, divestments and financing, reviewing vendor design packages, turbine supplier proposals, structural and electrical designs, warranty terms, performance guarantees and risk registers to support investment decisions.
Lead grid connection and electrical system studies, coordinate with TSOs/DSOs on grid code compliance, perform short-circuit, load flow, dynamic stability and harmonics studies (using DIgSILENT/PSS®E or equivalent) and prepare interconnection studies and connection agreement input.
Prepare and review technical sections of RFPs, tender documents and contracts for turbine supply, balance of plant (BoP), electrical works and O&M agreements; evaluate bids and provide technical scoring and commercial recommendations.
Provide construction oversight and technical supervision during procurement, manufacturing inspections, transport, installation and commissioning phases to ensure design compliance, quality control and timely handover.
Develop and implement O&M and lifecycle strategies including condition-based monitoring, SCADA data analysis, reliability-centered maintenance, spare parts strategy and performance improvement plans to reduce downtime and optimize availability.
Analyze SCADA and supervisory control data to benchmark performance, detect anomalies, quantify wake, curtailment and curtailment causes, and deliver root-cause analysis and corrective actions to improve generation and contractual performance.
Prepare detailed cost estimates, schedule and resource plans, perform risk assessments and run Monte Carlo sensitivity and scenario analyses to support project financial modelling, LCOE optimization and bankability.
Coordinate environmental and permitting workstreams: lead EIA technical inputs, liaise with environmental consultants, fisheries, aviation, local planning authorities and indigenous/landowner stakeholders to secure necessary permits and approvals.
Provide expert input on geotechnical and foundation design, turbine pad and crane hardstand requirements, cable routing, HVAC/DC infrastructure, export cables (offshore) and substation requirements to ensure robust, constructible designs.
Conduct wake loss modelling, micro-siting trade-off studies and aggregated wind plant performance modelling to recommend turbine selection, hub-height optimization and layout changes to maximize site production.
Deliver expert witness and advisory services for disputes, claims and contract negotiations, preparing technical reports, schedules, and supporting negotiation with clear evidence-based recommendations.
Collaborate cross-functionally with commercial, legal and finance teams to translate technical risks into contractual clauses, insurance requirements (e.g., performance guarantees) and mitigation measures to protect project value.
Lead multi-discipline engineering reviews and coordination sessions during FEED and detailed design to ensure interfaces between civil, electrical and mechanical works are resolved and that project deliverables meet code and standards (IEC, IEC 61400, local grid codes).
Mentor and coach junior engineers/analysts, review deliverables for technical quality and consistency, and implement continuous improvement in modelling templates, report formats and data management standards.
Develop stakeholder engagement plans and lead public consultations, community benefit programs, local content strategies and communications to build social license-to-operate and reduce permitting delays.
Manage HSE, QA/QC and environmental compliance on site and across the project lifecycle; ensure contractors and suppliers adhere to project-specific safety and environmental management plans.
Support development of commercial proposals, lead generation and pre-sales activities, prepare technical content for bids, presentations and client workshops to grow advisory engagements.
Monitor and incorporate industry trends, technology developments (e.g., larger rotors, floating foundations, energy storage integration) and regulatory changes to update technical guidance and maintain competitive advisory services.

Secondary Functions

Support project teams with ad-hoc technical analyses, feasibility updates and sensitivity studies required for investment committees or lender information memoranda (IMs).
Contribute to the organization’s knowledge base: develop templates, checklists, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and reusable modelling assets that accelerate project delivery.
Provide input to business development efforts: create compelling technical proposal content, case studies and capability statements targeted at developers, financiers and utilities.
Represent the consultancy at industry working groups, conferences and client workshops to build brand authority and capture market intelligence on grid codes, permitting and technology suppliers.
Coordinate third-party technical studies and manage external consultants/contractors to deliver integrated technical due diligence and site development packages.
Support post-construction performance verification and guarantee claims, including measurement campaigns, SCADA benchmarking and third-party verification for energy shortfalls or underperformance.
Participate in investor and lender meetings to present technical findings, respond to technical queries and support closing of finance packages.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives for project delivery workflows, modelling accuracy and data governance to improve repeatability and bankability of project outputs.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Wind resource assessment and energy yield assessment (EYA) — experience producing bankable P50/P75/P90 reports and uncertainty quantification.
Proficiency with industry tools: WAsP, WindPro, WindFarmer / OpenWind, Meteodyn, WindPRO, PowerFactory, DIgSILENT, PSS®E, SAM.
SCADA analytics: time-series analysis, availability, curtailment assessment and KPI dashboards (experience with Grafana, Tableau, Python/pandas).
Remote sensing and met masts: design, installation oversight and data QA/QC for LiDAR, sodar and met mast campaigns.
Electrical system studies and grid connection expertise, including grid code compliance, short-circuit, dynamic stability and interconnection agreements.
Technical due diligence and FEED capability for wind farm projects — reviewing turbine supplier designs, BoP, substations, O&M frameworks and warranties.
Modelling and scripting skills: Python, MATLAB, R, VBA for custom analyses, Excel financial modelling (NPV, IRR, LCOE), Monte Carlo simulation.
Geotechnical and civil interface knowledge: foundations, access roads, crane pads, cable trenches and scour protection (offshore).
Experience with wake modelling, micrositing optimisation and turbine performance curves; familiarity with IEC 61400 standards.
Contract and tender evaluation skills: preparing RFPs, tender comparison matrices, commercial-technical scoring and negotiation support.
Familiarity with environmental permitting processes, EIAs, habitat surveys, stakeholder consultations and mitigation planning.
Asset performance optimisation and O&M strategy development, condition-based monitoring and reliability engineering.
Knowledge of offshore technologies (if applicable): foundations (monopile, jacket), dynamic cable installation, marine operations and HSE risk for offshore campaigns.
GIS and spatial analysis for site selection, cable routing, setback analysis and landowner coordination.

Soft Skills

Strong stakeholder management and client-facing communication — present complex technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders, lenders and investors.
Commercial awareness and risk-based thinking — translate technical findings into business impact and contractual mitigation.
Problem solving and analytical mindset — ability to synthesize large datasets and produce actionable recommendations.
Project management and organizational skills — manage multiple workstreams, budgets, schedules and third-party contractors.
Leadership and mentoring — coach junior staff, lead multi-disciplinary teams and maintain quality assurance across deliverables.
Negotiation and influencing — support procurement and contract negotiations with clear technical arguments.
Adaptability and resilience — work across onshore and offshore contexts, cross-cultural teams and evolving regulatory environments.
Attention to detail — produce high-quality, auditable technical reports for investors and regulatory bodies.
Effective written communication — prepare executive summaries, technical due diligence reports, IMs and presentation decks.
Ethical judgment and professional integrity — manage confidentiality, conflict of interest and provide objective advice.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Civil, Electrical Engineering, Renewable Energy, Environmental Science or a closely related technical field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Renewable Energy, Wind Energy, Power Systems, Offshore Engineering, or an MBA for senior consultant/management roles.
Professional certifications (PMP, Prince2, Chartered Engineer status) or industry-specific certifications are desirable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Wind energy / Renewable energy engineering
Mechanical, Electrical or Civil engineering
Power systems / Grid integration
Environmental science / Marine science (for offshore roles)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–10+ years in wind energy projects (developer, consultancy, OEM, EPC, utilities or asset owner).

Preferred:

5+ years delivering technical advisory for wind farm projects, with demonstrable experience in energy yield assessments, technical due diligence, grid connection studies and construction/commissioning support.
Proven track record of bankable deliverables for lenders/investors and experience interfacing with TSOs/DSOs.
Offshore experience where relevant for offshore wind projects, including marine operations and subsea cable interfaces.